Extinction
by PenWraith
Summary: When Olimar leaves the pikmin planet after a catastrophe occurs, the pikmin are left alone. They make their way to the Sanctuary, a legendary place of peace, with no savage pikmin tribes or monsters to avoid. Black pikmin finally encountered.
1. Olimar

**PenWraith is attempting to connect to your line. Please wait a moment for your call…………………………………………………………………………………………..Thank you for your patience.**

**Hello! This would be me, PenWraith on the line (of course it would be me. How could it be anyone else?). Finally, I am able to write! HAHA!! I got my account only recently and this is, in fact, my first story! I hope that all you reading this are adequately entertained and impressed with my work, and I hope you enjoy it! Well, here goes!**

The last one was plucked at sundown, about 6 seconds (calculated) before the first of the nocturnal creatures would wake up from their temporary hibernation deep within the forest navel. The one in question was blue. For a blue pikmin, it seemed to be agitated, anxious, awaiting its first order with an excitement it apparently couldn't suppress. I recall when it first came out of the onion the following day, somehow being spotted by me easily. It held its stem high in the morning sun, drinking up its nutrients, basking in its wonderous warmth for the first time. I marveled at how it was constructed, how nature could have produced such marvelous creatures. It looked adorable in that one moment, and it was there when I contemplated on its complexion, how it was built to survive, its efficiency, and, above all,

Its loyalty.

I can also recall when I first tossed him at the wollywog guarding one of this area's many treasures. Its stem was firm, and full of life. I aimed superbly, and the little blue pikmin latched onto the creature's front-left leg, holding it down with immense strength for one so small, while the creature was pummeled by multiple other pikmin I had tossed and the blue pikmin itself. Finally, after beating the creature into submission, the little blue jumped up and started singing. It was _singing._ In that one moment as it uttered a few musical notes, I was stunned. The little creature had slain a wollywog many times its size, and as it carried its carcass back to the blue onion, it was _singing_. I instructed the pikmin to carry the carcass back to their onion, and the part back to the _Dolophin_, which was waiting on the plateau, the highest point in the area. They took the treasure back to the ship, and it was then where I had discovered that the _Dolophin _had accumulated 23 730 poko's worth of treasure, and I jumped with joy, as soon I could leave the planet to return home. But I had also felt regret at the thought of leaving the pikmin by themselves, and especially after all the hardships we had faced together. It was then that the little blue pikmin, sensing my sorrow, had walked up to me, and cocked it head in the puzzled fashion that the pikmin used when confused or confounded. Just looking at it cheered me up somewhat, and the pikmin, seemingly satisfied, walked back to its little group of other blues, and communicaied in the soft, lilting singsong notes pikmin used when consoling between one another. And I had discovered that I did not really wish to leave. Those opinions changed after what happened soon after, and certain events had caused me to rush back to my ship, yelling, and stumbling. All chaos had broken loose from the deepest reach of the bowels of the world beneath ours, and all was unclear. Everything was happening too fast, too fast! I entered my ship, and found that I had enough energy in it to escape this world's atmosphere. I must escape, I must escape! Everywhere were the pikmin, furiously beating them back with their stems, but it wasn't enough to stop their bodily fluids to spray everywhere, to stop them being gobbled up, wasn't enough to stop them being ripped apart, or squashed, or, or--from ceaseing to exist. And the last thing I saw before blasting off, the one terrible, terrible sight that will haunt my tortured mind forever, was that of the little blue pikmin, clutching to the cockpit window, staring at me, its face pleading to me for help, before being pulled away and ripped apart.

--_Excerpt from joural entry of Captain Olimar: day 25, 32 minutes before daybreak, last day on pikmin planet, beginning of the pikmin extinction._

**Well, that certainly was interesting! I wonder what happened to Olimar and the pikmin to make him blast off in his ship, never to return... well, you'll find out later. Hope you liked it!**


	2. Decision

**Here is the second chapter! This story is finally taking shape! My dream, my ambition, to see others reading my work and—sorry, got carried away. Anyway, this is the part where the narration turns to the pikmin themselves. Actually, to one pikmin in particular. This one would be blue, although it is, sadly, **_**not **_**the little blue pikmin Olimar fondly refers to in his journal entry. Now, please, read.**

We had made it. Before we had been totally devoured, we had retreated into our vessels and floated off into the bright and starry sky. We feared being hit by another of the large objects that fell out of the sky, but the fear of being on the surface in the night overruled that fear, for fear of the darkness was an age-old fear for us, whereas the _new _fear was unusual and was never witnessed during our time, the time of the pikmin. We floated on through the night sky in constant fear, for now that sky, our safe, secure location that can always be relied upon, had betrayed us. We are no longer safe, it was assumed, and that fear was voiced by another of the blue pikmin in the vessel."Where could we go? There is no longer anywhere we can settle, for now that the leader has abandoned us, we have no guidance, no leader, and no hope. For who is there to tell us what to do?"

After the speech, another pikmin piped up,"We could always ask the eldest! The eldest always knows what to do!" The other pikmin accompanying me agreed with the small fellow. So all pikmin sent up the call:

"Eldest! Eldest!"

"Where are you, Eldest?"

"Eldest, what do we do!"

"Eldest, Eldest!"

So the Eldest was found and brought forward. At first glance, he did not seem too different from the others, but a closer look revealed a stiff stem, movements that spoke of reason and confidence, and a slightly paler sheen of skin.

-_The Eldest, as the pikmin called them, were always the oldest residing pikmin in the onion, and therefore, in time of dire need or confusion, was the pikmin called upon for guidance, as it held the most knowledge and experience. In most cases, this knowledge was enough to present a solution to their answers. They, apparently, were once looked upon as leaders, and take their place in abscence of any other. -- Excerpt from Olimar's journal: Pikmin studies and research, 3rd day on pikmin planet._

The eldest, if the rumors were to be believed, was 172 days old, and had battled many, many creatures that the leader saw fit to battle. Before he left, that is. He raised his stem as high as it would go, and spoke, in our language, though his voice seemed a little dull.

"I had seen many things, had battled many creature, slain them, and had heard many stories during my time here. I am the one the pikmin of the blue vessel always looked to for guidance. I was here when the leader first arrived from the sky in _his_ vessel, and I am still here today. And it is my duty, my purpose, to serve and guide the pikmin of the blue vessel. So here are my words. Take them, and store them within your soul."

Then he took a deep breath. And spoke.

"There is a place. Far from here, on the other side of the mother vessel. Far from where I first sprouted, with its lush, beautiful flowers and cool, blue waters. Far from anywhere else on the mother vessel, and the most difficult place to travel to, even if you wanted to try."

_From what I can hear of their translations, they call this planet they live on the"Mother Vessel," and the onions themselves "Vessels." The Vessels, as they speak of it, were created for them to be protected, as when they were first born unto the world by the Mother Vessel, they could not protect themselves during nocturnal hours. The Mother Vessel took pity upon them, and gave them part of herself to each colour of pikmin. --Excerpt from Olimar's journal: Pikmin studies and research, 5th day on the pikmin planet_

"That place is called the Sanctionary, and that is where pikmin with no hope or souls travel to so they could find peace. The food is bountiful, the breeze cool, the waters warm, the flowers fragnant. There are no creatures that can harm us, no dangers that threaten us. But the Mother Vessel will not allow those who do not earn it to enter. These are her laws:

_You will not use the Vessels to enter, or you shall perish._

_You will not take the Vessels with you, or you shall perish._

_And you will not take nourishment from the earth, but only from creatures, which shall be provided to you._

Her laws are just, and they are fair. You have asked of guidance from me, and I say that we must travel to this place. If we have any hope for survival, we must make for where it is possible to survive. For the Vessels will not remain in the sky for all of time, and aside from that, we will need nourishment. We must descend whether we wish to or not. The way will be hard, the journey long. Many will die. But even more will die if we remain where we are now. It is likely the pikmin of the other Vessels have conversed with the other Eldest and have come to the same conclusion. And my soul tells me that there is only a fivecycle remaining of the darkness. Get some rest, all of you, and prepare to set off on the first bright of the Manycycles."

The Eldest drew back, and the pikmin, long silent, have begun murmuring in voices that spoke of worry. I myself was worried of what the following Manycycles would bring. But I still tried to get some sleep anyway. I lay my head down on the comforting bottom of the Vessel, and managed to gain a few cycles of sleep before the Vessel began drifting to the surface of the Mother Vessel.

**Well, that chapter was not very long, but these are just the first few chapters to get me warmed up! I promise to update soon! please review! BTW, the pikmin divide their days/nights into 30 sections called cycles, and they call the day the Manycycles, and the night the Darkness. I promise that you'll find out what happened in the next chapter!**


	3. 1st Battle

**It's me again!! Yayyyyyy! I just love writing all this stuff!! Okay, I promised two things: One, this chapter will be longer, and Two: You'll find out what happened to the pikmin and Olimar in this story! Yay!!! No more suspense!( or, there will be more later on) Now, I command you to read.**

The Vessel was drifting downward when I woke up, finally spent of energy. No doubt, the other Vessels will be descending as well. I peered down from one of the three entrances of the Vessel, and to my suspicion, I noted the ground, in most places, was covered in creatures, battling with a ferocity that spoke of pain, fear, confusion, and rage. Yet, there were some portions of the ground only sparsely covered with creatures, and some portions with none at all to be seen blemishing the surface of the Mother Vessel. I silently willed the Vessel to land on one of the small clearings, or at least one that does not have such a multitude of creatures.

As I was silently protesting my wills to the Mother Vessel, I noticed the Vessel of the yellow pikmin drifting down at a slower rate than the red Vessel or ours, since the yellow pkmin were much lighter that those of the blue or red Vessels.

I noticed some other pikmin rousing themselves, murmuring silently as they rose up. One other pikmin, only a few days old, exclaimed:

"We are going down! We are going down!"

And, at this, all other pikmin were instantly upright and alert. Then they all rushed to the Vessesl's three entrances to catch a glimpse at the surface below. They were suddenly filled with pikmin staring down, and I found myself being jostled an shoved around. Ther other pikmin started speaking, in voices that spoke of worry and terror.

"Will we make it?"

"What if we land in the middle of a creature war?"

"Don't say such things. All things seem worse if we worry."

"I don't care!"

"Look, we are descending!" It will take an eighthcycle to make it to the surface!"

"No, less!"

"Wait, what's happening?"

"Look at the yellow Vessel!"

And the pikmin all turned to look at the Vessel of the yellow pikmin. It was wobbling in the air to some vibration that has not reached us yet. And then it swerved and dived, and we could hear the yellow pikmin, their voices like sirens, warning the other Vessels of the impending threat. And not long after that, we started to feel the tremors as well, like the tremors we felt on the ground, only bigger and in the air. Soon we were bucking and diving, and twisting and turning through the sky. All pikmin in the Vessel were pitched across the inside of the Vessel, tossed around in the enclosed space like many grassdrones attempting to escape an underground cave.

And in the confusion, before I hit my head on the bottom of the Vessel, I caught a glimpse of the red vessel, being spun and blown away by the force of another object from the sky, hurtling toward the surface of the Mother Vessel below.

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I was in a dream.

_The grass was green, and the sun bright. The light was reflected in the drops of moisture in the grass. The leader was standing in the centre of all pikmin activity, surveying the working pikmin, those carrying carcasses, and others that were carrying objects that shone bright in the sky. I looked up as the leader sighed, as if satisfied._

_I noticed another pikmin of the blue Vessel, only a day old, running back to a group of blue pikmin. He was saying;_

_"What is that creature? I like him!"_

_The other pikmin let out peals of laughter, which spoke of friendliness and joy._

_"He is not a creature, for if he was he would have eaten you!"_

_"No, he is the leader! It is he who commands us, he who leads us! The Mother Vessel called him from the heavens to show us the way, the way to prosperity!"_

_The little blue pikmin cocked his head, and seemed satisfied._

_"Oh! So that is who pulled on my stem!"_

_"He is the one who pulls everyone's stems."_

_Then, we saw something bright in the sky, growing brigher as we watched. The little pikmin piped up, excited._

_"Let's go show the leader!"_

_All other pikmin, those who were working, sitting in quiet rest, or active and talkative, as the little blue was, started turning their gazes to the sky. Some of their faces, most of them, spoke of excitement and curiosity. Quite a few of them also spoke of confusion, while some other's, including the Eldest's, spoke of fear._

_"Look, leader, look at the sky!" the little blue pikmin cried as he turned his head to face the sky. The object, by this time, had grown larger, and was seen clearly in the sky. It was shining, like the Vessel of the leader, for it was burning in the sky. It descended rapidly, heading for the surface of the Mother Vessel. The leader looked at it, and his face at first spoke of joy, but before long darkened in contemplation, and then, suddenly, into terror. He said something in a language that I did not undertand, and he ran to us calling us towards him as he ran, then once everyone had been called under control, he spoke,_"Return to your Vessels. Emergency. All must be secure during this time." _At the same moment the object disappeared behind the trees._

_And then we felt it._

_A huge tremble in the earth, making all those who were out in the open stumble and fall. Then larger tremors almost knocked the leader's Vessel over. Some of the trees in the forest fell down, and we felt the earth deep inside the Mother Vessel being disturbed in a fashion I cannot explain. Then soon after, we felt like...a part of us was missing._

_Shortly after that came the slaughter..._

_Creature after creature, pouring out of the forest, rising from their burrows deep underground, coming down on us from the sky._

_Their actions spoke of fury, cunfusion, and terror._

_They began to attack us, and each other._

_The pikmin stood there, staring, until a huge mouth burst up out of the ground and the pikmin beside me disappeared, all that remained of him dropping to the ground. Bodily fluid splashed onto my face, my body...more creatures, a huge monster with a tongue and armored hindside..._

_A horde of green insects with wings, burrowing up into the mass of pikmin..._

_A colossal, four-legged beast jumping up into the sky and smashing down on my comrades with stomping legs..._

_As we began to run to the Vessels in a panic, I saw the leader rushing to his Vessel. He sutmbled inside, and the Pikmin that didn't make it to their Vessels started crying:_

_"Leader, where are you going?"_

_"Don't abandon us!"_

_"No! Why do you leave us!!?"_

_I jumped into the air, and landed on a creature with a red hide and a gargantuan mouth, one that I have fought before, and had made many experiences in the past. I dug in with my hands, and attacked the creature viciously with my stem. It roared, and attempted to shake me off, but I did not let go, would not! Dimly, I was aware of pikmin clutching the creature's back, pummeling it with their stems with all their might! Finally the creature's skull caved in, and with a final howl that spoke of pain and fury, crashed into the ground. I was thrown off, covered by a red liquid presumably the creature's internal fluids, but immediately ran to my Vessel._

_All around of me was chaos. It was hard to tell what was creature and what was pikmin._

_To my Brightside multiple small creatures with a hide shining a violet sheen overwhelmed another of the creatures I had faced..._

_To my Darkside some pikmin were carried off by a brown insect with two arms into the air, before being dashed into the ground..._

_Pikmin eaten by a creature with a lance for a mouth..._

_Pikmin pulling down an orange floating creature..._

_A creature with an armored hide launching boulders with the force of a cannon..._

_It was too much._

_I made it into the Vessel just before we took off, rising into the air. Pikmin, with faces that spoke of despair and defeat, but also with rage and hard resolve, looked up at us briefly as we floated away, then resumed the battle. We watched them until they were finally surrounded by creatures on all sides, but the Vessel carried us off over the forest before we saw any more._

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I woke up to strange noises.

I raised my head.

The sight that greeted me was to be expected. Pikmin strewn all over, most lying prostate, some walking around dazed, some staring out of the entrances of the Vessel. I realized that we have not landed yet, as we were still swaying in the air. I wondered at how this was so, as my dream took up almost a whole cycle of the manycycles, before realizing that dream-time was not the same as material-time. The noise that woke me was the Vessel attempting to stay airborne as long as it could, its efforts creating harsh, low noises rolling through its innards.

Then, I remembered the events prior to my dream, and sat up quickly. I regretted this, as the motion sent a stabbing pain through my head. My mind was rolling around in circles, chasing its tail as I attempted to remember what I was about to do, then my mind bit down and I slowly got up and walked to the entrance closest to me. I looked down, and the sight down below was enough to send my mind reeling.

There was a massive crater in the ground, a huge, deformed lump rising from its depths. Somehow, staring at it sent electric shocks running through the inside of my head, so I turned my gaze elsewhere.

The creatures were still attacking each other viciously, although this time their movements spoke of panic and fear. I noticed as well that most of the creatures around the crater area were lying still, with no movements to speak of at all.

And then, to my horror, a pikmin who had the soul and mind not to stare at the masses of creatures hollered:

"We're no longer headed for a clearing! we are going to have to fight to get through!" He said, his voice speaking of barely controlled hysteria.

And I observed that what he said was true. We were thankfully not headed towards a gathered mass of creatures, but towards an outer area with small gatherings of creatures attacking each other relentlessly and vigorously, but mercifully their movements were sluggish, indicating fatigue.

Most of the pikmin were awake by this point, and one of them spoke up.

"Let us speak with the Eldest one last time."

At this the other pikmin saw the wisdom of this notion, for we no longer had a leader, and therefore no guidance. We needed to orientate ourselves with what we were to do.

The pikmin called, and the Eldest came forward once again.

I myself asked him a question, surprised at how much my voice spoke of weariness.

"Eldest, you said there was a place that was called the Sanctuary. But your voice betrayed you of your doubts. Are you to accompany us on our journey to this place? As a matter of fact, _who _will accompany us to the Sanctuary?"

The Eldest closed his eyes and bowed his head. When we gazed upon his eyes again, they spoke of weariness and fatigue, but also of defiance and determination.

"No,"he spoke."I will not be going with you on your journey, along with those who have their doubts. I am too old to make the journey. You must journey on your own."

His eyes then sparkled.

"But not without a leader."

All pikmin in the Vessel gasped.

"But I will explain later. You have asked me once again for guidance, and I shall give mine to you one last time."

He drew breath.

"The Vessel is becoming weary. I must speak quickly, for we will soon be in combat. The other Eldest have come to this same idea, so you will not be alone, those of you who wish to go. The Vessel will land and we will rush out in a tidal force. But we _must stay behind the pikmin of the red Vessel._ Do not forget that. The pikmin of the yellow Vessel will leap over us into the threats from above, so do not turn your gaze to the sky, or it will be your undoing. See where we are landing?"

We all looked toward where he indicated. The landing site had no creatures in its immediate vicintiy. There was a small body of water stretching twice its lenght than its girth.

"When the red pikmin have annihilated the dragons that breathe fire, we will move to the water and circle around to the large creature spitting boulders, the cannon, but after the yellow pikmin have brought down the large flying creature that inhibits the way. Do _not _stop to aid them, or their sacrifice will be for nought. There will be sacrifices. Be wary of creatures lurking in the depths, and aviod them if you can. They are not involved in the combat and will not be able to harm the pikmin of other colors."

He drew breath again, and continued.

"Those of you who travel to the sanctuary, run to the forest after the cannon is brought down. Other pikmin will run alongside you. Only think about yourself, for if you stop to aid other pikmin, it could result in the end of you and the life you attempted to save. I am sorry, but this is how it must be."

He closed his eyes, and when they opened, they spoke of renewed fury and vigour.

"Make your way to the west, and avoid all dangers if possible. The creatures will not take our lives away, not not, not ever. We will prevail!"

All pikmin seemed to be uplifted at this, then their faces changed when one pikmin shouted,

_"WE ARE LANDING! PREPARE FOR LANDING AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!"_

The Vessel landed with a sigh, as if relieved. The Eldest was the first pikmin out of the Vessel.

As I exited, I saw pikmin pouring out of the red Vessel as well, rushing to battle! This was my time, my place! Where I was born to be!

I charged towards the lake when some of the violet-skinned creatures burrowed up from the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the yellow Vessel, not landed yet, pouring pikmin that leaped over us and into the creatures.

As the Eldest charged into the line of creatures blocking our way, he hurled himself, smashing creatures and screaming,

_"NOT NOW, AND NOT EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!"_

**Wow! What an exciting chapter this was! Sorry it needs to end here, but I promise to update soon! BTW, the pikmin's brightside is wherever the sun is shining from, in this case his left, and the darkside is where the sun, well, _isn't _shining. I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter!**


	4. Mission

**PenWraith is attempting to connect to your line. Please wait a moment for your call…………………………………………………………………………………………..Thank you for your patience.**

**Yo. It's me, PenWraith! My story rules and it totally DOES NOT SUCK!! This chapter focuses on the big battle, and the beginning of their mission. They get to the cannon beetle larva, but it sure takes them a while! Okay, this is the part where YOU READ!!**

**P.S. for all of you who read this I have two things to say:**

**1. I am deeply and totally honoured to have my work posted onto this site, and to have you guys read it. Thanks.**

**2. If you read this I expect CONSTANT REVIEWS!!! This story is just developing! They haven't even started on their quest! Post your ideas up, and WHO KNOWS!!?? I may even post one of yours in this story! I will mention If any ideas have come from who, so you guys know who to pin the credit on, and so I don't get in trouble. THANKS FOR READING!!!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the piklopedia entries. Those I copied down from the games. The greenteeth and its piklopedia entry was, however, invented by me.**

All was chaos. Nothing was clear or focused, except for my mission. All I could see, all I would look at, was the water, and whenever a shape that was not blue obscured the path, I jumped up, grabbed on, and pummeled viciously until whatever it was I had landed on was still.

Looking back, I surprised myself. I usually was not very focused and got distracted easily, for a pikmin. But then again, I was never in a battle such as this, never had a goal quite like this.

It was my mission to get into the water, where I belonged.

It was my _purpose _to get into the sweet, sweet moisture where I was born for and from, and where I will, eventually, perish.

The only other thing I was able to focus on clearly was the Eldest, and even him only dimly. I was able to discern him from the other blue smears around me. Everything was slow, sluggish, like everything was underwater. He was yelling something I could not hear, but I was certain that it was a war cry, from how his voice spoke of rage and determination.

Then, something strange happened to me. I felt as if...I was a leader, or how a leader was supposed to feel. I did not know why, but it was enough to bring me to my senses.

Some part of me had disappeared when the great object from the sky came down and pierced the Mother Vessel to her heart. But now...

I felt as if something had been given back to me.

For the first time, I noticed what events were unfolding around me. Pikmin were running to the water with singleminded purpose. Their movements spoke of something that was...wild...within them, something primordial. I was sure that that was how I had appeared not a rotation ago. They attacked anything that stood in their way, any obstacle obstructing the path.

Any soul that reared up before them in defiance.

A tremendous blast of air caught me by surprise, and I was blown forwards by the pressure. Pikmin around me toppled onto their faces and stomachs, and some on their backs. I had forgotten about the creature the Eldest had pointed out.

A massive, floating monster with a blue hide drifted down. Its hindside was covered with spikes, probably used as a defensive advantage against attacks from behind. Pulses of color flashed along its body, making it mesmerisingly beautiful. I watched it for a moment, before resuming my mission.

_Puffy blowhog_

_Sus inflata_

_Blowhog family_

_This species of blowhwg uses internally generated hydrogen to inflate a flotation bladder and hover above the ground. The creature's electrified pulse creates a sash of color that flows along the surface of its body, making a particularily beautiful blowhog species. Precisely how it is able to internally stabilize its highly explosive hydrogen and simultaneously generate electricity remains a mystery. The puffu blowhog blows leaves and grass to eat the insects underneath. It maintains midair buoyancy by using its fins and releasing air through blowholes. This enables it to float effortlessly, even in the breeze. In times of danger, the puffy blowhog can decompress its floatation bladder for a rapid escape from predators._

_Excerpt from: Piklopedia, 7th day on pikmin planet._

As I noticed it I realized that I had known it was there all the while. Was I that intent on my mission that I would forget an important detail such as this?

Just then, when I was absorbed in my thoughts, a huge pain erupted from my leg!! I felt as if i was dying, like my soul was eager to escape this husk of a body. I should have, I thought. I _should _have focused on my mission.

But it was too late. This was some cruel joke played by fate! I was footsteps away from the water. Almost to our goal!

I glanced towards the source of the pain, and gasped, my voice speaking of horror, revulsion, and pain.

A violet insect, cylindrical in shape, but with large mandibles protuding from its front, used its jaws as a vice to hold me in place as it slowly gnawed on my leg.

_Male sheargrub_

_Himeagea mandibulosa_

_Mandiblard family_

_This specimen is a male sheargrub. Having lost both legs and wings, the male burrows into the soil and waits to ambush small creatures that pass by. this beast's mandibles can be dangerous, making creatures such as pikmin easy prey._

_Excerpt from: Piklopedia, 2nd day on pikmin planet._

It bit down harder as I struggled, sending a lance of pain jolting through my leg all the way to my head intense enough to cause me to cry out, my voice speaking of intense pain and suffering. My leg squeezed out a clear fluid.

A blue pikmin, instead of rushing to the water, stopped to aid me.

"Focus on the mission, brother! Worry about yourself!" I said to him, as he helped me to pry the jaws apart with his stem.

"No! I cannot abandon a brother to a fate such as this, eaten alive by such a small creature!"

I was about to thank him, but my gratitude was snatched from my throat by another blast of wind from the creature in the air, which sent me sprawling, and the small creature flying into the air. The floater, letting out a grunt of content, swooped down and caught the small creature in its muzzle, and was in the process of devouring it when a yellow pikmin leapt high into the air and landed on the creature's smooth, iridescent hide.

The effect was instantatnous. The creature drifted to one side, taken by surprise. It began to right itself when another yellow pikmin landed, this time on is back. Another yellow landed on it's brightside fin.

The creature reeled. I stood there, awestruck, as it began drifting backwards. More pikmin landed onto its hide, strangely not attacking, but just clinging on. Maybe they hadn't the strength? It was an accomplishment, even for a pikmin of the yellow vessel. Or maybe they had another plan in mind...

It was then that two things happened.

One: the pikmin of the yellow vessel raised their stems simultaneously, in the pikmin attack position, and

Two: I came to a sicknening realization.

I snapped out of my trance, and cried out to them frantically, my voice speaking of warning:

"_No! Do not strike!"_

But it was too late.

The pikmin simultaneously struck the creature with all of their strength, all striking the creature at once with their strongest blows.

Whatever the creature utilized to keep it in the air collapsed, and the creature sped towards the lake, launched by the force of the air speeding out of the great rend in its side.

The pikmin beside me snapped out of his trance, and spoke:

"Come! We must get into the water!"

He helped me to limp to the water at the fastest speed that I could muster, and I finally was submerged in the cool, sweet, clear moisture that I came home.

The pikmin shook me."We must focus on the mission! Do not idle! The other pikmin are already starting to move!"

I saw other blue pikmin running through the water, their movements slightly being impeded by the water. My injuries forgotten, I began to follow them.

I saw the pikmin of the yellow Vessel up ahead, along with the limp, flat carcass of the creature.

I quickly sped up to investigate, and noticed the water rippling with their struggles to stay afloat. They were still alive! They could be saved!

Me and the other blues came to the carcass and saw that some pikmin were already dead. Their blank faces stared at me with peace, their eyes spoke of calmness. I stood before one, and quickly muttered an oath to the Mother Vessel.

_Guide his soul to the Father Vessel, who watches over the pikmin in the sky._

_Along with the Mother Vessel, the pikmin have a _Father _Vessel, who watches over the pikmin while they are in the sky, the compatriot of the Mother Vessel, who watches the pikmin on the ground. The Father Vessel is the pikmin equivalent of God, who joined with the Mother Vessel to give birth to the pikmin Vessels who are their guardians, and watch over them always.Excerpt from-- Olimar's journal: pikmin studies and research, 7th day on the pikmin planet._

I quickly glanced to the shore, where I saw the pikmin of the red Vessel battling with squat, gray creatures who spat fire.

Then I glanced back to the yellow pikmin, struggling to survive. I ran over quickly to a pikmin who seemed in greater danger than the rest, and was sinking to the bottom despite his best efforts. I grabbed him and raised him to the surface, where he took great gulps of air. I listened to him gasp and sputter, before he wheezed,

"Brother, do not worry about me. Focus on your mission."

I sternly spoke back at him,"No! I cannot abandon a brother to his fate any more than the one beside me can."

The pikmin supporting me spoke, his voice speaking of modesty,

"I am not a saver, simply a guide to those who need one."

But I urged to both of them,

"We are all brothers, all on the same mission. I am going to the Sanctuary, and I will see that I and you will make It there."

The two pikmin quickly exchanged glances, their faces speaking of awe and inspiration, then looked back at me. Their replies were simultaneous.

"We will go together to the sanctuary."

We then left the carcass of the creature, with fond farewells and advice tossed back to the pikmin of the yellow Vessel, who were then sitting atop the apparently buoyant carcass of the creature.

The other blue pikmin in the group provided a small barrier with their stems between the water and the yellow pikmin. I noticed that other pikmin had saved some other yellow pikmin, who were currently lying prostate on the small platform, moaning softly or asleep. The pikmin I had saved was wide awake, and had appointed himself as a sentry, to warn of approaching danger.

Altogether in our group, we had a total of 43 pikmin of the blue Vessel, and 11 pikmin of the yellow Vessel, adding up to a total of 54 pikmin. Or 55 with me included.

Then, when we had all been rallied up by the Eldest, he spoke to us:

"Brothers, the time has come to put the plan into action. We will move down this channel and, for all but the pikmin carrying the pikmin of the yellow Vessel, we will keep to the deeper waters. A few pikmin will be sent to guard those carrying the pikmin of the yellow Vessel.

Just then, I spoke up."We will need some pikmin to remain in between the two groups to watch over both, for if one group is in trouble, the other group will not know about it."

The Eldest looked at me with admiration, respect, and something else. It was as if he just had something confirmed, a belief realized.

"A wise notion, brother. You are intelligent and will one day make a fine chieftan for us to follow. But, I warn you,"

His eyes spoke of happiness and mischief.

"That day may come sooner than you think."

The other pikmin stared at me with respect and awe. The Eldest had spoken to me as...an equal. A friend.

But then his face hardened.

"Now, we must get back to the mission."

He indicated to a cluster of about 20 blue pikmin huddling together.

"All of you will accompany me to the deeper waters, along with you, brother."

He indicated at the blue pikmin who had helped me, and we looked at each other for a rotation, before turning away with a small statement,

"May the Father Vessel guide you and the Mother Vessel protect you."

I said the same to him, then he strode to the group of blues and turned around.

The Eldest then indicated to the group of nine pikmin supporting the 11 yellow pikmin.

"You shall travel with the eight standing there,"

He pointed his stem at the small group standing to their brightside,

"And you five will be the liaison between us."

He pointed at me and the other pikmin standing around me.

"If we become engaged with any creatures of the deep, you are _not _to aid us. We are in a sizeable group, and are capable of defending ourselves. But you _must _protect those who carry our brothers from the yellow Vessel. They are the top priority. They are too weak to survive on the land currently. They must have rest. Simply shout to us if they are in need of aid. If you encounter and creatures, avoid them. Do not waste time in combat. Once we are in combat with the cannon impedeing the way of our brothers of the red Vessel, do _not_, I repeat, _NOT_, linger around of its mouth. Once he tosses you off of his back, he will attempt to finish us off."

His eyes shone with something that spoke of enthusiasm.

"And, in the process, will find that we are pikmin of the Mother Vessel, and not to be taken lightly."

All pikmin cried out battle cries and cheers, with weak hoots coming from the yellow pikmin.

The Eldest then bowed his head.

"I pray for all of your goodwill, and for those who move to the Sanctuary, simply run after the cannon has been taken down. I pray that you find your destination, and go with not fear, anger, or sorrow in your hearts, but with goodwill. Farewell, my brothers. Farewell."

We then turned to the waters, and moved down the channel. We did not look back.

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We had already separated into our groups. We were walking down the side of a narrow cliff, with plants creeping down its side. We had passed some creatures, but they had been fiercely in combat as well. We had also noticed some carcasses lying on the bottom. Some had even begun to rot.

I had been thinking about how it was when I had first entered the world.

_From what I gather, I had started out as a small little root that sprouted a leaf. I had no consiousness at that point, so I had to learn off of other individuals. I had sucked in moisture from under the ground, for it was that water which supplied me with nutrients and what I required to survive. At the point where I sprouted a leaf, I gained intelligence._

_The ground was cool, soft, and caressing. I was safe, for now and always. Or, for a while at least._

_I had been pulled from the ground by the leader. I do not remember much, as my mind was still developing._

_But I do remember a kind, caring face, strange though it was._

_Its eyes were strange, squinted somehow._

_Its skin was the color of the desert, which I had not seen until later._

_It was wearing a barrier around its head. That one was clear. The one around its body obscured its true shape._

_It also had a stem. It did not have a flower, however. Instead, there was a bulb of some sort. Glowing red, shining brightly through the darkness. _

_Darkness? The sun was obscured. I could not feel its warmth. Yet it was still there, simply blocked bu huge, earthy pillars with not one, but many leaves._

_Later, the other pikmin said that they were called "trees."_

_I liked that place. I intend to return there someday._

_I also remembered the first time I was sumberged in the cool, fresh moisture called water. The sun shone brightly, bestowing upon me nutrients which I sucked in with my stem._

_When I first entered the water, I began to panic, for I could not breathe through the pores in my skin. Eventually, I learned how to breathe through the gills on the front of my head, or "face."_

_I had fought the large, red creatures before. The others had called them "Min-eaters."_

_When I had first fought one, it was very small. I was alone, the other pikmin had been instructed by the leader to do other tasks. When he had noticed the creature, he had spoke to me in the language I was familiar with through a box on his hindside._

_"This creature is called a min-eater. It is ferocious, but it is small. Attack it without fear or doubt. I will watch your fighting capabilities, and assess you upon them. Now go."_

_I obeyed him without hesitation._

_As I strode towards the creature, it noticed me. Immediately, it began to snarl, displaying ferocious fangs. Its eyes, mounted on stalks, spoke of malice, hatred and--could it be fear?_

_We circled each other warily, our eyes trained on each other for a few rotations, before it howled with a voice that spoke of rage and charged forwards. I jumped to the side, and the creature fell to the ground. Before giving it a chance to raise up, I leaped upon its back and pummeled it with all of my strength with my stem. The creature howled and attempted to shake me off, but still I clung on. Eventually, with one last, pitiful roar of defiance, it fell to the ground._

_The leader called me back and gave me praise._

_"You have done well, child. You are a fierce fighter, and extremely quick on your feet. I shall call you...swift, as the slitherer."_

_I was proud of myself, and I filled with warmth at his praise._

_But that had changed._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

I had never, since then, had told any pikmin what he had called me.

And I suspect he had lain his mark upon others, as well.

We, the four pikmin and I, had walked for a time. The pikmin at the bottom of the water channel had not encountered any creatures as of yet, and neither had the group at the top.

But the same cannot be said for us.

We walked for a while before coming across a small cave at the bottom of the hole. The other pikmin had stopped.

One of them spoke up,"It is a creature's nest."

And then another,"We must not lose sight of the groups. We must go around!"

They looked at me, as if expecting guidance.

So I said,"We will go around. We cannot risk conflict."

And so we went around.

As we did, we noticed the group at the bottom of the water. They were gesturing at us strangely, pointing their stems to the group above with a motion that spoke of..._urgency_?

We quickly spon around, to look at the group carrying the pikmin of the yellow Vessel. A large creature was menacing them! They need aid!

We rushed to help. The creature was large, almost as large as a greater min-eater.

It was gray, and had yellow eyes that spoke of cold malice, and cruel intelligence. It had many fins placed around its body, which I assumed were used for locomotion. But its most distinguishable feature was that its teeth were large, and serrated. And they were green!?

_Greenteeth_

_Dentalia serratus_

_Pirhana family_

_The greenteeth is a large, ferocious fish that dwells in large ponds and small lakes. It is part of the pirhana family, but rather than hunt in packs, this creature hunts alone. Its mouth is its most prominent feature, for it boasts large, serrated teeth that are, in fact, hollow. They are connected to a venom gland located on the bottom of their lower jaw, which produces the venom in a similar manner to rattlesnake venom. The venom is then stored in the teeth, and is secreted under pressure. The venom is what causes the teeth to appear green. The greenteeth resides in freshwater weeds, and springs out to attack any creature passing by their territory._

We rushed to help the pikmin attack the creature, noticing that two pikmin were lying on the ground, bubbles rapidly rushing from their lifeless bodies. A third was in its teeth, dead from their venom. The remaining five were spaced on various points of its body, pummeling it rapidly. It bucked and twisted, attempting to throw them off.

The pikmin carrying the yellow pikmin had retreated to shallower waters where the creature could not reach.

Me and the four other pikmin let out cries that spoke of fury and outrage, and threw ourselves at the monster.

Eventually the creature grew still.

The blue pikmin at the bottom had reached us by then, panting rapidly.

The Eldest, between gasps, asked us:

"Brothers...are the other pikmin...safe...?"

Panting myself, I nodded.

"Good."

The pikmin carrying our brothers returned, and we set off again, but this time in a great group.

About half a cycle later, we came to the cannon.

**Sorry it needs to end here, but i'm sure this chapter is long enough! _Whoo_! That took a while. Keep up the reviews, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	5. Creature

**Yo, guys! Ya, you, the readers! Why do I not see any reviews coming in!? Come on you can do better than that! This is the chapter where the pikmin finally fight the cannon beetle and embark on their journey to the west. They find some new friends on the way, but also make a great enemy…hope you enjoy it!!**

**BTW, a rotation is about 30 seconds.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the piklopedia entries, aside from the grasslord's (aka Angbeetle). I did make up the new pikmin types, and the grasslord himself. **

We came to the cannon. Finally. After long last, we have come to the climax of our mission! After the cannon has been taken down, our brothers from the red Vessel could overwhelm the rest of the creatures.

The cannon itself had a long body, the front of which (the mouth) was a gaping hole, which number after number of boulders came, mowing down smaller creatures, or pulverizing them entirely.

_Armored Cannon Beetle Larva_

_Granitus Chukkulinae_

_Lithopod Family_

_This specimen is a lithopod larva. This expedition was unable to confirm the existence of mature lithopods, leading to the concern that this species was extinct on this planet, but the discovery of the creatures in larval form eased such concerns. Lithopods, like flint beetles, use internal metabacteria to aid in chemical digestion. These metabacteria can only survive in certain environments, such as within the bodies of certain insects, so lithopods do not contain any metabacteria immediately after hatching. Larvae feed on partially digested ore regurgitated by mature lithpods, ensuring the larvae obtain metabacteria they would not have normally obtained._

I was still worn out after combat with the green-toothed monster, but I was sure that we, my brothers and I, could take on this creature and come away victorious.

The creature was right on the shoreline, almost in the water, launching boulders brightside to darkside, annihilating the closest creatures with a vigour that spoke of huge, primal pain and fury.

The beast appeared fearsome, and I shook in fear at the prospect of combat with it.

The Eldest spoke up."We must get nearer to the shore, so that you nine,"

He indicated to the pikmin carrying the yellow pikmin,

"May deposit our brothers onto the land."

He then crept up silently to the shore, extremely close to the cannon, until he was about 15 footsteps far from it.

He indicated to our brothers carrying the yellow pikmin, and then waved to the shore.

They immediately went up and dropped the yellow pikmin onto the land, where they instantly jumped up, and with (extremely heartfelt and relieved) some brief calls of thanks, they launched themselves into the mass of creatures still fighting, making sure to keep a sizeable amount of creatures in between the cannon and themselves.

The Eldest then motioned to us, and we sped up to beside him, laying ourselves as low as we could.

The Eldest started speaking, his voice speaking of no discernable tiding.

"Alright. This is the enemy that poses the greatest threat to us. Many may perish, but you must still remain strong. Attack it without fear or doubt, and we shall prevail."

His eyes then spoke of sorrow and joy, in their own ways farewelling us on our journeys.

"Run to the forest, journeyers. Make to the west, and follow the setting sun."

He turned his gaze upon me, and said somrthing, that never in my wildest dreams, I imagined he would say to me.

"You, brother, will be the next Eldest."

I would never forget those words.

After the commotion the other pikmin had caused had calmed down, he offered his explanation.

"My time is coming. In fact, it is almost here. This would be my last combat, my last blaze of glory. I have lived too long, and had seen many wonders, many dangers, many fears."

The other pikmin wore masks on their faces that spoke of concern, and fear.

"Do not worry, my brothers. The Father Vessel has turned his gaze upon me, and mine has been turned upon him. I am old, and ready for my perishing. But _you_,"

He pointed at me.

"You are not ready to die. You have many a day to live, many a fear to encounter, many a danger to conquer, and,"

He pointed to the setting sun,

"Many a wonder to discover."

He bowed his head.

"Lead the pikmin well, brother. Watch over them as I did for you, ans the Mother Vessel does for us all. Farewell."

He turned his gaze towards the cannon, his eyes burning with fury, hate, and determination.

"It is time for battle."

He suddelny sprung forward with a vigour and force I was unable to believe exist in such a small body.

He blasted forward, screaming his battle cry for all to hear, at the top of his lungs.

We accompanied him.

The cannon turned towards us, its eyes betraying no emotion. I heard a rush of air, and then a boulder almost as big as itself blasted towards us. The Eldest, still screaming, leaped up and over the boulder completely.

A few pikmin, however, were not as fortunate.

Some screamed as the boulder crushed their frail bodies, mowing them down utterly and completely.

I leapt toward the side, and the boulder clipped my stem.

I screamed in agony and fell to the ground.

A min-eater came towards me, eyeing me hungrily. As he lunged towards me, a yellow blur sped towards me and pulled me away.

Another yellow blur landed on the min-eater and smashed it rapidly and ferociously. Dimly I realized that the yellow blurs were pikmin.

The first blur set me down on the ground, and I immediately sprang, up, and proceeded to thank him when I realized that whoever it was was gone.

Shaking away the confusion addling my mind, I set my sights upon the cannon. The Eldest had landed on its back, refusing to be shaken off as the cannon bucked around, launching huge stones everywhere. Other pikmin had landed on other various parts of its body, barely hanging on as it vicously bucked repeatedly.

I leaped into the air, and landed on its muzzle, and struck it repeatedly with my stem. I only managed to bruise it, but it was enough to make it let out a cry of pain and buck me off.

_Right in front of its muzzle._

I heard another whoosh of air as it inhaled, preparing to launch a boulder.

Beneath the cries of the Eldest shouting at me to move, I was thinking. I could not move, I could barely think, and my final thought, or so I believed, was, _this is the end._

But sadly for me, it was not. Another yellow blur sped toward me, and plucked me up as a boulder rushed over the spot where I had just been. It was the yellow pikmin I had rescued, the difference being that_ I_ was being rescued by _him_.

He deposited me on the ground, and I heard him say,

"You sure get into a lot of trouble, do you not? This is the second time I had saved you from that beast."

I looked into his eyes, which spoke of glee, madness, fear, and concern.

"I am fine, thank you. And I also thank myself for rescuing you in the first place, for it seems,"

I looked at him,"That I had just gained myself a valuable friend."

His face shone."Not for long if that cannon is not brought down."

We both stood up, and immediately ducked down as a large, brown flying creature swooped down, barely missing us.

_Swooping snitchbug_

_Scarpanica Kesperens_

_Scarpanid Family_

_The scarpanids origionally lived on the ground, sporting poorly developed vestigial wings. This species has developed enlarged antennae that can be used as makeshift wings. Scrpanids are attracted to the sight of large groups of pikmin in cavalry formation and will swoop down to seize them. However, scarpanids don't eat pikmin, and they will drop any seized pikmin after a short time. The reason for this behavior is unknown, but I look forward to future research in this area._

_Excerpt from--Olimar's journal:Piklopedia, 5th day on pikmin planet._

As we watched, pikmin on the ground leaped up and grabbed on to it, and the weight caused it to be dragged down and swarmed.

We looked at each other, nodded, then ran as fast as we could at the cannon. I leaped onto its green hide, and my friend did the same.

I then heard a voice from above.

"Took you long enough."

Strained though it was, I recognized it as the voice of the pikmin that had helped me from the violet-skinned creature.

I exclaimed with joy, before realizing that we were still on the large cannon.

With a rotation's discussion, we theorized that its hide could be breached if a force stong enough struck it. So we raised our stems in unision, and struck its hide in the same spot simultaneously.

The hide burst, sending a shower of yellow blood spraying everywhere.

The creature let out a last howl of pain, and collapsed with a large _THAM!!_

When the dust had cleared, it was the pikmin thet were left standing.

I stared at the ground, my face undoubtedly speaking of shock, relief, and joy.

We had did it.

We had completed the mission!!

Just then, we had heard two things:

The first, a huge roar echoing nearby accompanied by a humungous slurping noise, and the second The Eldest's voice, echoing, echoing through the din:

_"Now is your chance! Run! Run to the Sanctuary!"_

We did run, and as we did, we heard him screaming a challenge of anger and rage, and saw a monstrous shadow, silhouetted through the dust.

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We ran past creatures still fighting ferociously, past creatures still being brought down.

Pikmin were beside me as I ran, pikmin of all colours.

To my brightside, the yellow pikmin I had saved panted, though his eyes still spoke of glee.

Th my darkside, the blue pikmin who had prevented me from being eaten sprinted at a leisurely pace.

The forest came within sight.

Just looking at it made me run all the harder, my injured stem drooping slightly lower than normal.

A red pikmin ten footsteps away was run over by a boulder.

Yet we did not stop.

A yellow pikmin in front of me was pulled under the ground, into a deep hole in which the bottom was not visible.

Yet we did not stop.

And a blue pikmin a few footsteps behing me was grabbed by a snatcher, its long, gangly arms snagging his stem with ease.

And yet we did not stop.

We still did not stop after passing through the first trees in the forest.

I noticed that the sun was on the 15th cycle of the Manycycles.

We kept running till all pikmin fell down and blackness took them.

Eventually, it took me as well.

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Somewhere, deep within the forest, the creature cocked its head.

It had two long, gangly legs, which enabled it to stand five times taller than a pikmin.

It was hunched, its head positioned low on its spherical thorax.

It sported two long antennae that spread backwards behind its body.

Its wings were small, and were folded along its back.

Its muzzle was long, and sported small mandibles.

But its eyes were the worst. They glinted with a wolfish cunning, a cruel and malicious intelligence.

It lowered its muzzle to look at a pikmin, grayish teal in colour. It had four eyes, and they glinted red.

It had a long, thin stem, whiplike in fashion, with a small, ovular shape on its end. The shape glowed a soft turquoise.

This pikmin seemed...wrong, somehow, as if something was missing.

The creature spoke to the pikmin, in a strange, unnatural, warbling voice.

_Child, I sense a disturbance in my territory. Investigate and report as soon as possible._

_Travel with a group of ten. Return at dusk._

_If combat is imminent, engage as necessary._

The strange pikmin nodded without a sound, then scurried off in an unnatural speed.

The creature turned, strode in the opposite direction, and sprang up into the air, back to its nest.

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_Angbeetle_

_Mesmeri Resinens Tyrannica_

_Kettlebug family_

_This creature is, in function, a larger and more intelligent form of antenna beetle. Almost no data has been collected on this creature, as it is extremely reclusive and rarely seen. But I have noted that it is far more intelligent than its relative, and in fact its intelligence rivals our own! It can be a fearsome creature, for if it can manage to call pikmin to itself, it may be capable of far more elaborate commands that those of the antenna beetle, whose primary reaction is to force pikmin to run away. It has become an extreme threat to the pikmin, as now I am concerned for their safety. I need to depart soon, and I fear of what may happen to the pikmin if left alone._

_Excerpt from--Olimar's journal: piklopedia, 155th day on pikmin planet, 2nd last day before departure._

**Uh-oh. Looks like the pikmin are in trouble! Pretty soon, things will become intense! Sorry I have to leave you guys like this, but remember! POST UP IDEAS IN YOUR REVIEWS!!**

**Call ended.**


	6. Forest

**Hey guys! I can't update as soon as you all would like, as the computer at home is down. Thanks for your patience and support! Glad you like my story! The pikmin are being stalked by the grasslord, as they find out in this chapter. But they also encounter some new friends on the way! BTW, one league is about one hundred.**

**Here ya go…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the piklopedia entries, aside from the Sporewing. I also do own the new pikmin types, including the bugmin and the green pikmin.**

_Dark._

I open my eyes.

_Black._

I see the forest, but everything was...

_Shadow._

I close my eyes...

_Rest._

No...I can't...

_Sleep._

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I wake up.

I see the forest. But it was not dark.

Shafts of light pierced the canopy of the leaves, adding a yellow highlight to the brown undertone. Above me, the trees were stabbing the sky with their brown stems.

I lay down, and almost fell asleep...and instantly snapped my eyes open in alarm.

Had I been resting through the whole dark!?

Had min-eaters or more terrible creatures devoured my friends!?

Why had _I_ not been eaten?

I sat up. Some pikmin were asleep, but most were awake. They were wandering around, wondering the same things as I had. But as soon as they saw me awake, they instantly rushed towards me, bombarding me with questions.

"Eldest! You are awake! Why did no creatures come to devour us!?"

"Eldest! Are we still alive!?"

"Eldest, Eldest! What must we do?!"

And at this cacophony, the other pikmin were instantly awake.

I raised my stem, my appearance speaking more profoundly of confidence than I felt myself. At this display, the other pikmin instantly were still. I searched the crowd quickly for familiar faces, but I could not find one.

"My brothers and sisters," I began, my voice not speaking of fear or unease as I would expect,"We have come into the western forests, and rested through the dark without encountering any creatures as of yet. Why this is I only can guess, but I believe that most are still in combat with each other. Many of those that are docile have remained apparently;"

I indicated to where some small, wormlike creatures were busily chewing through a bush.

"We must find shelter before the creatures return."

At this the pikmin muttered amongst themselves, and then grew still, sensing that I had more to say.

"Now, we must prepare for the journey. It is evidently in the twelfth cycle of the Manycycles, and we will not journey any farther as of yet. We must gather food, nourishment, in the form of creatures. And we will also intake nectar, if we can find any. Those who are wounded must be healed. And last, we will find shelter, a secure place. And do not let your guard down, for it is not certain that _all _creatures that prey on us have left the forest. Now, for the tasks."

I looked around, assessing the pikmin for the tasks they would most be suitable for.

"All of my brothers and sisters from the yellow Vessel, come forward."

I tallied them up.

About 31 yellow pikmin were present, 9 of them wounded.

"You nine will accompany those two to search for nectar. As you are wounded, you get first priority."

They nodded, some with broken stems, some who could only barely nod, their heads in disrepair.

"You ten, you will scout the area and dispose of any threats to us. Bring back the carcasses."

They nodded and turned to their tasks.

"And you ten will search for a dwelling."

After that, the reds were called, about 46 to speak of, with only two wounded. They were fierce fighters.

They were sent to guard the hollow tree stump the yellow pikmin had found.

And the blue pikmin, with 33 members including myself with twelve wounded were sent to prepare the log and clear it out.

As the pikmin were sent for their tasks, I called upon the Eldest of the yellow and red Vessels.

The Eldest of the yellow Vessel had survived the battle, but the Eldest of the red Vessel had perished in combat with an enormous creature with a monstrous appendage that crushed all pikmin in its path.

The Eldest of the yellow Vessel (called the Ancient by our yellow brothers) was calm and confident, his 157-day frame speaking of immense courage and bravery for one so small and shriveled.

The Eldest of the red Vessel (named the Champion by his pikmin) did not speak of such confidence. But in his eyes shone the fire of a warrior, a veteran of countless battles.

I began by asking the yellow Ancient for advice.

"Ancient, I do not know how best to carry out my task as Eldest."

He responded in an old, grizzled voice,"Brother, you have done well. You have the soul of an Eldest, and there is no advice to give aside from this: You must think of what is good for our brothers and sisters, and make the best decision you can. Judge wisely your children, and watch out for them."

His eyes shone with support and happiness.

"Just do what they wish you to do."

And I was puzzled."What is that?" I asked.

"Be a leader."

And the red Champion spoke.

"I have seen your fight against the cannon. You fight like a wild beast. And you are as cunning as one twice your age. And that is a lot, considering your 35-day age. There is only one thing I can say, however. And that is watch your surroundings. Be more aware of what is creeping upon you, and never display any fear."

His eyes spoke of respect.

"Woe betide any creature that falls upon your gaze. Even I fear combat against you. But sometimes, continuing combat is not the wisest path, and at other times it would be even worse to retreat. And one last thing;"

He stood up to his full height.

"I can command my own pikmin, thank you very much."

I laughed, and the other two joined in.

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I traveled to the stump, and marveled at my brothers's and sisters'swork.

The stump had already been divided into sections of habitation, healing, and rest.

We were getting started.

I glimpsed my yellow friend, and I ran over to greet him.

"Greetings, brother! I haven't seen you since the combat with the cannon!"

His eyes shone with joy as he replied.

"Nor I you, brother-I mean, Eldest."

And I replied,

"No, no, brother! All pikmin can call me what they will! I do not care!"

And the yellow pikmin's eyes shone with relief.

And then I came to a decision.

"Brother, I will tell you something, but you must promise to only tell our blue friend."

And my brother nodded his head soberley.

And I told him."My name is swift, as the slitherer."

And his eyes opened wide, sensing the trust that I had just displayed, and then his eyes spoke of respect.

"And mine is Remill."

And so our secrets have been brought out.

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Out in a bush close to the tree stump, forty red eyes stared out at the clearing. Grayish-teal skin concealling them, preventing any chance of being spotted, they traveled down to the base of the bush. the eyes then split up into ten groups of four, each group with a small, glowing oval above it, suspended by a long, thin stem.

The one closest to the base of the bush turned around and spoke in a strange, warbling voice.

_Brothers, we will go back to report. It will be on the thirteenth cycle when we return._

_We return to the grasslord._

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Up high in a tree, two white eyes stared down at the pikmin from above. This group of eyes also had skin and a stem, but these were both green. And perched upon the stem was a white flower.

The shape shifted slightly, revealing two pairs of arms.

It spoke to another, identical shape to its darkside.

"Those pikmin; I had never seen them before. Perhaps they are foreigners?"

The other shape replied.

"Come! We must tell the Chieftain what we have seen!"

And both shapes turned and scuttled away to the tree trunk, and disappeaed among the leaves.

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I had been searching amid the blue pikmin for any sign for my friend, until I found him.

I heard a voice.

"Brother! I have found you!"

And I turned around, and there he was, with arms full of nectar.

And I called back, "No, _I _have found_ you_!"

And I ran up to him to speak.

I asked him,"What is the nectar for/"

And he replied,"It is for the wounded. There are plenty. The red pikmin are barely even scratched, compared to our brother and sister over there."

He pointed at the two red pikmin, who were covered in bruises and scratches. The male had a drooping stem, like mine, and the female had a small gash on her back.

The blue pikmin he indicated all at least had one huge scratch somewhere on their bodies. One of them had their neck broken and was lying down, unconscious.

"Poor brother. He got grabbed by a snatcher," he continued.

And I askes, my voice speaking of puzzlement."What do they do?"

His eyes grew dark."After they grab you from the ground, they hurl you down from the sky. Most pikmin don't survive. He got lucky."

And I shivered.

Then, a blue pikmin came up to me, and noticed my stem.

"Eldest! You have been wounded!"

And despite my protests, my sister bid me to ingest some nectar.

As she rubbed more into my stem, she told me;"In about ten rotations, you will be fine."

In ten rotations, it would be twelve and three quarters cycles of the Manycycles.

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The shapes with gray-teal skin strode up to the nest with a strange gait. They walked with all four limbs, and those who walked with two were slightly bent over, as if they were in constant agony.

_Father, we have returned,_

they called over to the large, metal container.

Deep inside of it there came a grumbling as the grasslord strode up to his lair's entrance.

_Children, what did you see?_

_Father, there are foreign pikmin on the eastern boundaries of the forest._

_How many?_

_About one league._

_Have any creatures returned from the combat in the fields?_

_No, Father._

_Then you will go. Attack on the thirteenth cycle with two leagues' number. Leave none alive._

_Affirmative. We will leave no survivors._

_You have earned my praise, children._

_Thank you. Father._

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"It is almost the thirteenth cycle, Eldest."

And I noted this as I looked up to the sky.

We had brought down a strange creature that floated in the sky.

It had two large wings and a small body. It smelled constantly musty, and rained small feathers that had a brown sheen. It was brown, and not aggressive, but it was strange, with a pattern on its back that spoke of caution, and was probably utilised to hide from predators.

_Sporewing_

_Lepidoptera Muskennia_

_Flitterby family_

_This creature is extremely cautious and docile, and does not prey on other creatures or pikmin. It dines in the evening, when most flowers are open. Upon landing on the flower, it extends a proboscis to suck up nectar in the bottom of the flower. Its antennae are extremely sensitive, and can scent a flower from miles away. This strange creature rains down small spores from its wing that release a peculiar musk to ward off predators. This strange method of defense has no discernible effect on pikmin, fortunately. In addition, the musk is also primarily hormonal, and is used to attract other members of the opposite gender._

_Excerpt from--Olimar's journal: piklopedia, 123rd day on the pikmin planet_

I could still hear the pikmin as they carried the carcass to the tree stump.

_Pik-ku, pik-ku, pik-ku._

We hurried back to the tree stump, as well, to check on how things were going.

And then, I felt the uneasing feeling of eyes staring at me. I turned around, but there was no-one there. But the uneasy feeling remained. I shuddered, and hurried to catch up with my friends.

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"Well, what do you think?"

"I don't know."

"They seemed friendly enough."

"Yes, but we don't know what they are. For all we know, this could be a new trick of the bugmin."

"You think? The grasslord can't do something like that. Who could make themselves look blue, yellow, or red?"

"How _would _they do that?"

"Oh, get down!"

"...did he see us?"

"I don't think so."

"Maybe he knows we're here?"

"Dunno...maybe he thinks we're bugmin?"

"No, he hasn't even seen them."

"That reminds me, I saw some down by the bush by their clearing."

"What could the grasslord be up to?"

"Who _ever _knows?"

"..."

"..."

"I think that we should keep our eyes on them. See if they're friendly...or not."

"I agree. Let's watch for a few more days. See what happens."

The two shapes hurried up along the trees in the direction of the clearing.

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I was at the log, eating nectar.

The pikmin had found plenty of egg bearers floating among the leaves. The yellow pikmin had waited upon the flowers, and then had launched themselves towards them. They knocked the eggs away, and then they disappeared.

"This nectar is unusually good,"I commented to my friend the yellow pikmin who sat beside me.

"So it is," He replied, between mouthfuls of the pieces of the creatures that he had brought back from the forest boundaries.

All around us were pikmin, chattering away merrily.

I bowed my head, and had that awful feeling I had felt since I had the nectar applied to my stem.

"What is the matter?" My yellow friend asked me, sensing my discomfort. Anxiety, I imagine, spoke in my eyes.

"I do not know," I replied."I just know that there is trouble ahead.

And just then, as the sun set in the position of the thirteenth cycle, everyone heard a word being shouted mightily by the pikmin at the entrance. But it was not just their tone that brought terror to my eyes, or anger to my soul. It was what they shouted.

One cool sentence that led to chaos.

_"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

**Whoa! Wonder what. Stay tuned for next chapter! And remember, just review!**

**Peace.**

**Call ended.**


	7. Not Pikmin

**PenWraith is attempting to connect to your line. Please wait...Thak you for your patience.**

**Yo. Chapter seven UP. R&R or DIE.**

**...Plz?**

**BTW, one ren is about two seconds.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the piklopedia entries. Yayy! Now I won't get in trouble!**

In one second, everything went from peace...

To _chaos._

We all sprang outside to see what was attacking us, and I gasped, my voice speaking of fear, anger, and horror.

What was springing through the bushes were..._pikmin!!??_

No, they were not. These monstrosities only _resembled _pikmin.

_The angbeetle has become a grade XII hazard to me and the pikmin. Lately, I have been noticing these pikmin-like creatures, with insectoid features, following it, like it was their_...father._ On my first encouner with one of these _bugmin, _as Louie and Agger had taken to calling them, they attacked with a force only one-third the size of mine, and attacked with a savageness that was unlike anything I had ever seen before! They managed to wipe out half of my force of pikmin before they were subdued. I had also, on the few occaisions that I had seen the angbeetle with my pikmin, noticed them undergoing physical changes. I had hypothesized that, similarly to the puffstool converting my pikmin into shroommin and then bending them to its will, the angbeetle took control of pikmin and under a certain period of time convert them into beings both pikmin and...not. Now, on the eve of my departure, I am more than ever concerned for the pikm...khxxxkht...khxht khxxxxxxht...mustleavkhxxxtaaaaaaaahkhxxxt_

_Excerpt from--Olimar's jounal, notes on angbeetle, same time as the striking of the first meteor._

They came as a huge swarm twice the size of ours.

The first red pikmin in their way raised their stems in defence as they came...and were brought down screaming with vicious slashes coming from the stems of the not-pikmin. They were surrounded, and were blocked from our sight as more of the horrors swarmed around them and rushed towards us.

One leaped high into the air, and would of landed right in front of me had I not slashed it to the ground with my stem. It twitched, and was still.

I felt a huge pain in my back, and screamed. I whirled around...

And the stem of one of the not-min smashed into my face.

I was brought down, but I quickly jumped back up, and rushed at my challenger. I dodged his stem blows, noting its unnatural speed. I slammed my body into his, and we tumbled for a minute, but I managed to break free, and as he spun up, I slashed my stem in an arc by his feet, and he slammed facefirst into the ground. I left him, his neck at an unnatural angle.

I called to all of my pikmin, with the call of the Eldest, a high, shrill sound not unlike that of the leaders' when he was here.

"_Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"_

All blue pikmin managed to dodge their attackers and run towards me, and strangely the not-pikmin ran past them and into the red pikmin, who beat them back slowly.

I also called over the yellow pikmin, who charged in a spearhead and stabbed through the lines of the horrors.

I quickly gave out orders.

"You five! Gather the wounded and bring them to the stump! I will meet you there!"

"Brothers! You twenty climb the stump and drop upon the back lines of the...things!"

"You fifty! You will cut around the side of the swarm and help the red pikmin beat them back!"

"And the rest of you, follow me!"

The pikmin scurried to their tasks.

Over at the part where the red pikmin fought, new screams of pain and challenge erupted among them.

As we ran, me and the Ancient called out the battle plan.

"We will cut around to the side and into the swarm! Hold your ground! The horrors will turn and face us, and so will give our red brothers time to recuperate!"

I noticed my yellow and blue friends, side by side, staring at me. They nodded simultaneously, and I felt an upsurge of hope and confidence, and those emotions were both ejected through my mouth with one word.

_"ATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

And with screams of fury and other emotions, we smashed into the lines of the horrors.

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"Well, they definately are _not _bugmin."

"Somehow, I knew that they were friendly. They work pretty hard, too. Look at the stump!"

"Why are you looking at the stump, Sheer? Look at them fight!"

"Wow! Look at those reds!"

"Wouldn't want to meey one of _them _on a dark night."

"Their skill matches the bugmin's!"

"Hey, look at that group. Are they stupid or something?"

"Definately not. Did you see their leader? He broke two necks in abut three rens!"

"Whoo, that's good."

"Tell me about it. Fen, pass me more nectar."

"Sure, wyrr. The grasslord was right to send two leagues. Seems that the numbers are paying off."

"...Looks like they're in trouble. Should we help?"

"Dunno. I still don't think they're friendl-"

"Oh, come off it already! If the grasslord wants them dead, they couldn't be _all _bad."

"True."

"Maybe they could even help us."

"Hey, _yeah_! That's the smartest idea i've heard from you yet, Sheer!"

"C'mon, let's go get everyone! Finally, we can get back at the bugmin for all that they've done."

And the three shapes sped over to the tree trunk, and disappeared down a hollow in the trunk.

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We were not faring too well.

The not-min were far more ferocious than I had inticipated at first, and now we were paying for that mistake.

Slowly, they were surrounding us. They were only slowed by the pikmin from the outside who hurled themselves into the slowly advancing line.

I beat back four of them at once, with help from Remill.

But still, it seemed hopeless.

Finally, we were surrounded. Just like those red pikmin.

All of my brothers were about to die.

Until something as green as the leaves on the trees (most of them being brown, but nonetheless) dropped down from the sky.

**Sorry that this chapter is so short, but Doesn't it make you hunger for more?**

**R&R or DIE.**

**Call ended.**


	8. Green

**Yo, guys! Ya, you, the readers! Finally, the green pikmin are introduced. I finally got to put them in! Yes, I do own them. They actually _see _the grasslord in this chapter! And they start their journey. Keep reading. Sorry for the short updates.**

**BTW, I suspect they meet some _new _pikmin in this chapter...who I did make up.**

Everything stopped for a split second. I mean, what was happening? What on the Mother Vessel could make a _pikmin _fall from the sky? And it was _green_!

The horror it had landed on was not moving.

The pikmin hopped off.

It was green. It had four arms.

And it spoke strangely.

It said,"Hey, foreigners! Bet you never seen a green min before!"

Everything, everyone, had frozen. We all stared at the green pikmin strangely, I sensed it. I was certain that my face spoke of shock and bewilderment. Remill, beside me, was no better.

He whispered at me,"Eldest, first these horrors, and now _this_...what is happening?"

And I told him truthfully,"I do not know. And I insist upon you calling me Swift, not Eldest."

And as I said this, three things happened. One was that more of the green pikmin fell from the sky. Another, the first green leaped upon another horror, and almost tore it apart with its arms. And third, all fighting had resumed.

The green pikmin had a curious method of fighting. While _we,_ against beings our size, simply stood and swung our stems, the green pikmin grabbed onto their foes, and either tore them apart, or threw them away. Some simply clung on and swung their stems, as if fighting a larger enemy.

I suspected that against larger enemies, they could not be dislodged as easily as us.

A not-pikmin ran up to me, and I instinctively leaped to the side, swinging my stem as I went. It fell, but leaped up with a speed far surpassing my own.

"And I thought _I _was swift," I muttered.

It ran to me, and as it was about to reach me, a green blur smashed into its side.

It flew a fair amount of footsteps, and struck another horror. They both ceased to move.

The green pikmin's eyes shone with glee not unlike that of the yellow pikmins' when they fought.

The green pikmin turned his gaze upon me, and called out amidst the fighting,

"My name is Wyrr! Nice to meet you!"

And I stood there in shock at such a display, until a horror leaped upon my back.

I ran about as it lashed me with its stem, until the weight suddenly disappeared from my shoulders. I turned around, and noticed a red pikmin, female, and my blue pikmin friend beating it. It squirmed and shrieked, but eventually was silenced by a vicious blow from the red pikmin.

They both looked up at me, eyes shining with respect and enthusiasm, and I thanked them.

I proceeded to travel back to the stump, and noticed that it was besieged by a fair amount of the horrors.

I dodged many slashing stems on my way back to the stump.

At the entrance, the red pikmin and some yellow pikmin were beating the horrors away, and as I approached, a pikmin of the red Vessel said,"Champion and brother of the blue Vessel, pass quickly! The healers await!"

I thanked him and rushed through the gap he had opened for me, which was quickly closed by the red pikmin.

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_Father, we have brought our report/_

_Excellent, child._

_The green pikmin have interfered with our plan, Father._

_And?_

_...Father?_

_What of it?_

_But, Father, you have said, you have warned them against further interference!_

_Yes, child. I am aware of that._

_But you said--_

_IT MATTERS NOT WHAT I SAID!!_

_I am sorry, child. I did not mean to frighten you._

_Father..._

_We will punish them as is fit._

_Yes, Father._

_You have done well, child. Continue to serve me well._

_Yes, Father. I shall._

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In the healing portion of the stump, I met up with the Ancient of the yellow Vessel.

Pikmin bustled around me, tending to the wounded and preparing against assault.

"Child, we will not hold for much longer. We are at our limit."

The Ancient was weary, and so spoke his voice, as well.

"But no," I replied. "We had encountered allies!"

He looked at me strangely, and then shooed off the healers that came to heal his stem, which I had just noticed was almost torn in two.

"I know it is sudden, and may not make sense, but I must speak as quickly as I can."

His eyes now spoke of understanding and realization, and he indicated for me to continue.

I quickly recounted events from when he got to the stump.

"Just after the pikmin you commanded had engaged the enemy, the horrors massed into three groups, the first being a large mass, intended for a frontal assault. The second had been an extremely small scouting formation, which had unknown purpose, but had been annihilated far before anything else extreme had happened. And the third was a moderately sized battle group which had almost wiped out the group under my command, but had been distracted by our new allies, which had dropped from the trees, and claimed to be _green _pikmin."

The Ancient's eyes shone with shock, surprise, and bewilderment.

"Are you sure?" He asked me cautiously.

And I said,"See for yourself."

And the Ancient looked out of the stump through a small knothole, and gasped.

"Look at their fighting prowess! They obviously have some skill and experience in combat with these creatures! Why, the battle group had already been exterminated!"

And I saw so for myself.

The Ancient then looked me in the eye and said,"You have been a good commander, and have done an excellent job in leading the pikmin into combat. But now, it is time for rest."

"But, the pikmin! They need assistance-" I began to protest.

"Yes, but look at how well they are doing on their own! You are evidently worn out, and deserve a rest. Sleep!"

And I reluctantly closed my eyes and fell into darkness.

**Another short update. But get used to it. I will update more, at least! The chapter after the next will be a long one. Be patient, tho. When I say long, I mean _looooooooooooong._ So look forward to it! BTW, this story is still just beginning. I have no intention in ending it in, say,_ 9 _chapters. I was thinking more like..._30._ So wait, and post ideas up. I still haven't got any yet, but I can be patient. Cyall!**

**Call ended.**


	9. Story

**Hey guys. Not much to say. I'm just depressed, I guess. But, apparently, the pikmin are NOT!!**

**You'll find out.**

**Read...I'm tired...zzzzz...exorin...means...skkkinnnnnnnn...**

_We're beating them back!_

_Yes!_

_Yes!_

_We will prevail! _

_we will fight! _

_We will WIN!_

_Brothers, let us fight for the Eldest! He is counting on us!_

_Yes! Yes! For the Eldest!_

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I awoke.

The sounds of fighting pikmin continued, although there were much, much less than there were origionally.

I glanced quickly outside, to notice that the battle was now limited to the front of the stump.

I sat up, and proceeded to walk to the direction of the battle cries and slashing sounds which sounded like whips.

Pikmin all around me were either resting, sitting down quietly, bustling around, helping to heal, or in some cases,

dead.

I quickened my pace, feeling unwanted and uncomfortable.

As I neared the entrance, I noticed that the only fighters were the green pikmin, all of the reds resting in front of the entrance.

I strode up to them, and as I did they immediately attempted to stand up and greet me, but I waved them down.

"Eldest, have you seen these pikmin fight? They are not as powerful as us, but they fight for a long time!"

"Yes, yes! And they have experience in combat with those...not-min..."

"Why are you here?"

I looked up, startled at the question.

"Oh... I was searching for someone."

They looked up at me and cocked their heads, their eyes speaking of puzzlement.

"There is a red pikmin...a sister. She helped another friend of mine...a brother of the water...fight off a horror that leaped upon my back. I wish to thank her."

So they called for the sister, aider of the Eldest. When she came forward, she looked away from my face, her own speaking of modesty and...embarassment?

"I thank you, sister of the red vessel, for if it were not for you, I would have perished."

And she looked at me, her eyes speaking of puzzlement.

"It was not I who found the strength to pull off the not-min. It was my friend, Beras."

And I spoke to her again."He is a friend of mine, as well. Though I did not know his name before. So if he is a friend of yours, then you are a friend of mine."

She looked away bashfully, as some red pikmin who were listening to us whooped and gave small whistles.

And my eyes spoke of happiness, and I shook my head slowly.

I then moved off as the red pikmin joined her friends again. I headed for the stump entrance, intent upon completing two tasks.

I accomplished the first with ease.

"Hey, brother!"

And I whirled around to greet Wyrr, who broke away from his battle after breaking his contender's neck with a small twist. Even I winced at the sharp _crack _at the breaking of the horror's exorin. He ran up to me delightfully.

And as he did, I asked him,"How could that bring joy to you? It is fighting, yes, and some are exhilirated at its prospect, yes, but the breaking of a creature's soul, no matter how dark, is not a pleasant thing."

He nodded."Yes, but you don't know just how much experience we have with the bugmin."

I blinked."Bugmin? So that is what you call them here."

And he nodded."Yeah. Those things are terrible, terrible creatures, who were in fact once pikmin."

I stepped back."No...but..."

His eyes spoke of deep sorrow and grimness."Yeah. It can be a bit hard to believe...but it's the truth."

And I asked him to tell me their story.

And he beckoned me to the habitation grouds, where we called over the Ancient and the Champion.

He looked at me."I will tell you all that I know. If the Chieftain was here, we can tell you min more, but we have a little shortage of time here."

And so he began.

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_Father._

_Yes, child?_

_We have brought another report._

_Excellent._

_Not so, in fact. Our two leagues have been completely wiped out._

_And of their casualties?_

_Whose?_

_THE BLASTED PIKMIN, YOU FOOL!!_

_...Sorry, child. I had raised my hopes too high._

_...th-they have l-lost about f-f-f..._

_Spit it out, child!_

_Sorry. Forty-three pikmin had fallen into the void, but we have claimed six out of those. The numbers would have been higher if not for the tree__bound._

_Well, too bad for them they interfered. How fortunate for us. We will finally obtain our pay._

_Yes, they have not yet giver our pay yet. We will go and claim it tenfold._

_Yes. Punish their insolence._

_This time, we will strike at night, as they are inactive. Bring three league's worth before they move off. We must not let them gain any more allies._

_No...strike in two cycles._

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"We don't know where the grasslord came from, but we do know that he is ancient and wily, smart, and cruel as the chimena. Or, as you guys call it, the cold. He is ruthless and heartless. And the bugmin are no better."

"_Bugmin_?" The Ancient and the Champion exclaimed at the same time.

"Those are those not-min we saved you guys from. Boy, it seems that the grasslord has a grudge on _you_."

"But _why_?"

Wyrr looked at me squarely in the eyes, his eyes betraying no fear, no sadness, just a burning anger that..._frightened_ me somehow, to my very soul.

"Because you just set foot in his territory. He's that heartless. In fact, he's so cruel now that he's not _he_ no more, but _it_."

"He tried to destroy us simply 'cause we existed."

And we all exchanged glances, before listening to Wyrr again.

"When we first met him, when the first of the Vessels came down from the sky and set foot in this forest many, many days ago, we found peace among the trees, 'cause before the first of the things came down from the sky and pierced the Mother Vessel, the ground was covered in creatures. We were given four arms instead of two, and we could climb. Unlike you guys, who apparently have different powers, eh?"

I nodded."We, brothers of the water have been given the ability to breathe in the water."

"And we," spoke the Champion,"Can fight with more power and can bathe within the rage of the Mother Vessel."

And the Ancient wheezed weakly,"We were given the ability to move faster, jump higher, and we could resist the strange lightning on the ground. And until recently we could carry the dyroneons, but now, if we attempt, we explode."

And Wyrr nodded."It happens. Apparently, we used to be able to glide. But the black pikmin had taken that gift."

And the Champion looked up sharply and spoke in a voice that shook with tension and excitement."You say that there are more kinds of pikmin than just..._us_?"

And Wyrr nodded patiently."Oh, yeah. You mean you guys never left the eastlands before now?"

And we all nodded.

And Wyrr shook his head and said."So you guys are looking for the Sanctuary, too."

And I remembered my objective with a shock."You mean...you are searching for it as well?"

He nodded again."Yyyyep."

I was tempted to ask of him many other questions, but I chose to let him tell his story.

So he continued."The grasslord is a creature, very rare now. Apparently, from what I gather, there were more of his kind, when the Mother Vessel was young. They were much bigger then, too. Back then, they weren't able to enslave us. But, like everything on the green, green Mother Vessel, things change. Eventually, the grasslord got a way to enslave us forcefully, bending us to his will. He sent out grassdrones- yes, they were the first children of the grasslord- to capture us, and then the grasslord, over time, began to change their appearance. They became like him- insectoid. What you saw, those bugmin, are what happens when the grasslord manages to capture some of us. Now, instead of grassdrones, he uses the bugmin to capture us. And somehow, he changes us to become part of his army."

He walked over to the knothole, and stared out ot the bugmin, which were now spread out and being slowly wiped out. Then he slowly turned his gaze inwards, back at us.

"Nowadays, he uses the bugmin as his main army, and they are the ones who capture us now. That's why you don't see the grassdrones anymore. They were all banished, being forced to live underground, in constant fear of being attacked. But like I said, things change."

And I quietly sat down, having many things to ponder, and I could not fit all of it into my head.

"After a while, he began to roam the southlands, where there are many strange creatures and monsters existing down there. He wandered among many forests, leaped along many plains, spoke with many creatures. And eventually he made his way here. Nobody knows why. And while he was here, he constantly harassed us, whittled us down, captured us. He punishes us for interfering with our plan by enslaving some of us. If we interfere, we will die. And we don't have the strength to resist him, and he knows it. He wants to make us extinct."

And nobody said anything, so he continued.

"We, my friends and I, and the rest of the tribe at our Vessel are all that we have left. And we had decided to travel to the Sanctuary, to live in peace. We are the ones who plan attacks against the grasslord, keep him offguard so that one day, we can kill him and free us of our curse. So that's why we want to help you guys, too. Please."

And he fell upon his belly in front of us.

"I beg you guys, please take us with you!"

And I looked at the Ancient, who looked at the Champion, who nodded. It was decided before Wyrr was even finished speaking.

And so we rounded up all of our pikmin and headed off before the grasslord could catch us again.

**Guys, this chapter may not be too good. I meant it only as a spoiler, to show you guys what's going on. I might not update for a while, cause I promised that the next chapter would be HUGE, and I have other stories to work on in the meantime. Cya guys. Thanks for reading!**

**BTW, dyroneons are bomb-rocks.**

**Call ended.**


	10. Voices

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**Yo, Guys! Issame, PenWraith! Please, please tell me you guys liked my story so far. I've been getting less reviews lately! Review, and tell me anything you like, if my story is too violent, if you guys aren't satisfied, what elements I should work on, anything! It'll cheer me up to know people like my story! PLEASE!!!! Or all of the pikmin die.(Just kidding, I would never do that). Oh ya, I promised that this chapter will be UBER, so that's why I haven't been updating for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the piklopedia entries, those I got from the game.**

**READ...**

We just went.

We took nothing, aside from ourselves.

And we headed to the spot where Wyrr and his friends (about thirty four green pikmin in total, which amounted to about 91 in total when we were included) told us they would bring their Vessel to.

I traveled with Remill, Beras, and the red pikmin, whose name I later found to be Striker.

We all conversed gleefully, and I experienced great joy in the simple act of interacting, and I forgot that I was even an Eldest for a brief few rotations.

Why do we find such happiness in interacting with others? I doubt even the former Eldest knew.

Around us were the other pikmin, also absorbed in their own conversations. Our moods were raised just by walking among the forest, taking in the beautiful canopy of leaves, brown with the mid-chimena. Sunlight filtered through high above, bathing the ground with mottled spots of light that, as we looked, shimmered slightly with the high breeze.

I permitted my eyes to reveal my wonder. "Beautiful," I whispered.

"Indeed," Came a voice from my brightside.

I whirled around to meet the owner of the voice, but I saw nothing but a small tree. Well, small for a tree, as I still was as small as a dust bit in the eyes of the giant looming above me.

I realized that I was acting strangely when I noticed pikmin passing me with strange looks on their faces.

I turned away, and caught up with my friends.

And as we continued on, I swore I heard the voice again.

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Shapes darted around the undergrowth around the stump.

Here, a bright flash of red.

There, a small bit of green showed.

And out from the stump came a small creature, tan with a red bottom. On its back, small bits of white flashed everywhere, but its most defining feature was its stem, which poked through the middle of its back, and bore a small leaf on top. It was a min-eater with a leaf!

_Bulbmin_

_Parasiticus Pikminicus_

_Pikmin family_

_This loathsome creature is in fact a parasitic form of pikmin that has infected a bulborb. Unlike pikmin that nest in onions, this parasitic relative spends its life inside the body of a host, usually a bulborb. Juveniles fall in line and mimic the actions of their parent until maturing to full independence. By burrowing its root-like limbs into the nervous system of the host bulborb and infusing it with with natural hormonal excretions, the Bulbmin is able to control virtually all of the host's body functions. However, the host's voracious appetite seems impossible to supress._

Their eyes, mounted on stems, poked up above the grass.

And immediately disappeared with a small _squeak_, followed by small scurrying noises.

The forest stood still.

Until a huge cry of pain and agony echoed through the forest, accompanied by noises that sounded like something sharp was being stabbed into flesh. Eventually, the cries quieted, and were replaced by the shimmering noises of the leaves as they felt the first of the cold breezes come from the east.

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"I feel extremely uncomfortable," I said to my companions. And it was true. I had suddenly felt the sensation comparable to that of something that was caught in the gaze of a min-eater.

"With good reason," spoke striker."It almost feels as if the forest itelf is watching us."

Remill spoke up."Or else the creatures are beginning to return. Quickly! Let's hurry up."

Beras was silent the majority of the walk.

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_Father. The pikmin have already moved on._

_The pikmin have escaped?_

_Father... Are you angry?_

_Yes, I am angry. We must destroy them if we are to free the forest from their prescence. Keep on their trail._

_What happens if we are distracted, or if the green pikmin come back?_

_You will travel in three leagues._

_What are you staring at, child?_

_That is the largest number yet you have sent out... You haven't sent out that many in four hundred Manycycles!_

_This is the Manycycles that the green pikmin, and the intruders, will be eradicated forever. You will kill anything in your way, destroy anything that blocks the path. This will be the four hundred and first Manycycles, and the last! Prepare in a rotation and twenty rens._

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A gray shape rose up from the pile of stones and strode towards the wall. It dropped the rock on top of a small pile forming by the others working there, and it then proceeded to pick up another from further away and dropping it onto the pile beside the others.

The wall must be completed by darkfall. The master commanded it to. So it worked.

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As we walked, we talked about how our lives were before the first of the things fell from the sky. I talked about the woods of light, which was my birthplace, and of a green, sparkling treasure that the leader had commanded us to take to his Vessel.

Striker talked about the twilight desert where she was born, and of a battle with a huge creature, with long legs who crushed them and stomped on them.

Remill, the youngest among us, spoke about the tiny tree by his birthplace in the shimmering waters.

Beras said nothing, just stared ahead.

After a while, we fell still as well, as his silence was contagious.

And we asked him why he did not talk.

Eyes silent, he just turned towards us, and said,"I sense something."

And no matter how hard we tried, we could not sense anything, and wondered why Beras could, and asked him such.

He just said quietly,"I do not know."

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The wall was almost complete. The master was almost safe.

But he was not satisfied. He wanted us to keep building the wall.

Why is he not satisfied?

It does not matter. We keep building.

Wait... what is this? Master senses something...

He commands me to go to the first threat, and the others to the second.

Master needs sustinance.

We must obey him, or he will get angry.

We do not want him to get angry.

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_Father! Father, help us!_

_Save us! Please!_

_Father, where are you?_

_Father, what is happening!? What are these things!?!?_

_Father, please! Answer us!_

_We cannot hold them back! NO! THEY ARE GETTING THROUGH!_

_Please, Father! Help us! sav-- AAAAAUGH!_

_Father... Erg..._

_Help... Erg..._

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_Pikmion fascinate me. I do not know why, but they seem like... my children. In a way. I feel as if I was the one who brought them into exsistence, even though I did not. I simply helped them on their way. Somehow, no matter how many of them fall in battle, they always manage to survive, repopulate, evolve... I only thank the heavens that the pikmin did not attack me when I first met them. _

_Excerpt from--Olimar's journal: Voice journal, leaving pikmin planet for the second time._

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We came to the clearing where the green pikmin apparently sent their Vessel.

It was empty. Perhaps we were earlier than expected?

Pikmin were murmuring, wondering what the problem was, what was going on.

The Ancient was running towards me, wheezing and panting.

And I ran over and asked him,"Ancient, what is the matter? Why are the Vessels not here?"

And the Ancient managed to catch up to me.

A small pikmin, only a few days old, came over to me before the Ancient. He looked up and asked me,"Eldest, what is going on? Why are the green pikmin not here?"

And as I replied that I did not know, the Ancient bade me to follow him.

We came to the edge of the clearing.

And the Ancient told me not to mention this to anybody yet, until the green pikmin came back.

And I nodded.

He beckoned me through the bush, where I met a sight that shocked me to my soul.

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I walked to the small clearing, and peered through a bush.

These things were strange. But they did not look dangerous.

The master told me to investigate, so I did.

I walked through a bush, towards them.

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As the pikmin were milling around, one blue pikmin noticed something.

There was a grey creature striding towards them.

It seemed to be made of rock. It had two eyes, just like a pikmin, and a stem, just like a pikmin. It had a round head and a round body. Sharp stones protuded from its back. Its arms were composed of three circular stones, as were its legs. And it was hunched over, but despite this it was slightly bigger than one of the purple pikmin the leader had interacted with when he came here.

The blue pikmin looked at it, and ran over to meet it, its eyes shining in curiosty.

The creature that looked like a pikmin had eyes that were blank, that showed no spark of intelligence or emotion.

It was when the pikmin got up to a few footsteps away from it that he noticed the stem. It was made of five circular stones, and was topped with an extremely sharp stone that was as long as the rest of the stem. The spear took up little less than half of the stem, and the thing held it behind its head, like it was heavy.

And the other pikmin began to notice it as well, and came up to stand behind the blue pikmin.

The blue pikmin, eyes speaking of glee and curiosity, cocked his head slightly, and spoke to the creature.

"Greetings, like-min creature! What are you?"

He held out his hand to make the sign of the greeting.

The creature cocked its head to a complete 90-degree angle in what appeared to be mild curiosity. Then, in a blink of an eye, it righted its head and the spear embedded itself in the pikmin's forehead.

**Cliffhanger alert! What a brutal way to die. I hope that this chapter is long enough, and that you guys don't get too sad for that poor little guy... wait for next chapter, and a lot will be explained. Keep in touch, and please review!!**

**Call ended.**


	11. All going to die

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**Another chapter is finally here! Oh, sorry that chapter 10 wasn't as uber as I had promised... well, here ya go! MORE ACTION!!! YAY!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the piklopedia entries...as you already know.**

**READ...**

I could not believe my eyes.

Lying before me there was a green pikmin.

Its stem had completely snapped off, cuts were all over its body. One of its eyes looked like it had exploded, and the whole side of its face was burned and charred.

It rocked slowly back and forth, back and forth...eyes devoid of any emotion...voice being heard occaisionally...

_creatures...creatures..._

I tore my horrified eyes away from the poor figure, and turned to the Ancient."What did this? Do you know?"

And the Ancient closed his weary eyes."No. When prodded, that word was all that came out of his mouth."

And I pitied the small pikmin there. He seemed to be only about ten days old.

Compared to my fifty-five.

And the Ancient spoke again."The other pikmin cannot know about him, or they will panic. We can probably get them back under control, but they will lose hope easily, and will not follow well. But if we do not warn them of the imposing threat, we may be caught unprepared."

And I said,"I will tell them."

And the Ancient asked me if it was wise to do so.

And I said,"The truth, no matter what it is, is the best thing to tell them. It is wise."

I then walked over and crouched down to my small, green brother of the green Vessel, and spoke to him gently.

"There, there, brother. Calm your soul. What happened here?"

He continued to rock, but this time said,_ creatures...creatures..._

I turned to the Ancient, and shrugged.

_We are all gonna die._

My head snapped around so fast, I was afraid that the exorin would break.

_Dyroneons...dyroneons...creatures...creatures..._

_We're all gonna die._

He shuddered, and shivered. He looked up at me.

_We're all gonna die. 'Cause it's here._

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A large shadow strode through the forest, on two long and spindly legs.

Smaller shapes, scattered all about him, twitched, and squeaked.

The large angbeetle looked around the small space.

It was laced with a fluid that glowed dimly turquoise in the dying light of the sun.

A small shape crawled up to it.

_Father..._ it squeaked quietly.

When the angbeetle looked down, he saw a small bugmin.

Its stem broken off, its body broken in two.

The angbeetle nuzzled the bugmin gently with its snout, and rubbed it with the two long, feathery antennae that extended from its head to behind its back.

And as the bugmin quietly died, it looked up, to the fading light at the forest treetops.

And leapt away, to the east.

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Master is acting strange.

Yes, he is.

We need to build a wall.

And hurt the threats.

We already hurt the first ones.

What about the second ones?

Wait... Master is commanding us...

So the shapes all dropped their stones and walked, slowly and silently, to the clearing.

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When we returned, I gasped at what I saw.

Six pikmin, all dead, were clustered around the carcass of a strange creature.

The first pikmin had his head pierced through.

The second had his head laying beside him.

The third had no arms or legs.

The fourth had his stomach slit open, its contents staining the ground where he lay.

There seemed to be no problem with the fifth, but when I looked closely I noticed that her neck had been twisted completely around so quickly and severely that the exorin had been horribly twisted.

And a few rens later I noticed what remained of the fifth.

Almost nothing.

What remained of it had been blown various distances from a small spot on the ground. A smoking, charred hole in the ground.

I looked up, my eyes speaking of horror, rage, and fear."What _did _this?" I asked myself quietly.

The pikmin were all clustered in a circle, huddling together, their eyes speaking of fear, and barely controlled madness and panic.

The Champion, who was at the head of the pikmin group, the only one whose eyes were calm and controlled, said,"Speak up, young one. You were the one who saw it clearest."

A small yellow pikmin spoke up.

"E-Eldest...it was...a c-creature that did th-this..."

And then Beras, my friend, spoke up in a clearly frightened voice.

"No...a _monster._"

And then my gaze wandered over to the monster sitting on the ground. No, it appeared to be sitting. It was dead.

As I looked at it, I dimly heard the Ancient speak a dyroneon explosion.

I turned around as something at the back of my mind stirred.

"This monster... is a _gritmin_..."

And I was shocked at my own voice, for it spoke without my intending it to.

The Ancient looked at me strangely.

"Gritmin?"

And I heard the green pikmin, who we brought back with us on our shoulders, suddenly speak in a voice approaching closer and closer to hysteria.

_"Monsters... are... here..."_

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They walked through to the bushes before the Master commanded them to stop.

I heard him to. So I stopped.

Master sounds... happy.

Happy... is good.

If the Master is happy, then we are happy.

Master told us to go through the bush, quietly.

We brought the rocks forwards, and Master told us to throw them at the threats.

So we did.

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A large rock landed in front of me.

I stared at it as it slowly started to crack, yellow light growing brighter and brighter.

And before it detonated, the Ancient screamed at the top of his lungs."GET OUT OF THE WAY!_ GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!_"

At the last moment, my eyes widened, and I understood.

I hurled myself to my brightside, but I was still caught in the blast.

I was hurled a fair amount of footsteps and landed on my arm.

I screamed in pain, for the exorin was broken, the arm hanging limply, almost broken in half.

I stood up wearily, to hear the sounds of chaos.

I looked up, and the sight that greeted me sent waves of horror coursing through my veins.

Duplicates of the creature were slowly trundling through the bushes at the borders of the clearing.

Some of them looked the same as the creature, eyes devoid of any emotion.

Some had large, spiked stones in the place of spears.

Some had spined stones for hands, along with thicker arms.

Some also had large, sharp rocks protuding from their bodies and huge blades for arms. These had eyes seemingly placed randomly on their faces, one larger than the other.

Others had one huge lump of stone the size of their body for one arm.

Any combination of those elements were there, as well as many others.

There were also those that were twisted, and deformed versions of their brothers.

They all sparked revulsion in my heart.

Slowly, they walked, limped, and trundled towards the pikmin, a wave of demons about to devour a legion of souls.

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The green pikmin was all alone.

In the middle of a slaughter.

He rocked slowly, back and forth, back and forth.

All of the monsters that walked by him seemed too intent on their tasks to give him any attention.

Except for one.

A creature pulled his spiked arm out of the stomach of a blue pikmin, and slowly turned its head to face him.

The green pikmin laughed hysterically, and crawled backwards, trying to get away, escape from its sight.

Its arm, coated in fluid, whipped into the head of another pikmin that charged at it, then it turned and advanced towards the gibbering madmin.

The madmin could not turn its gaze away.

It struggled frantically away from the gritmin, and called out to it.

"Its a monster! Its a monster! HAHA!!"

The monster walked through the chaos towards him.

Before the club swung through the air into his face, the green pikmin giggled manically, and said in a singsong voice:

"IT'S A MONSTER! IT'S A MONSTER! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!"

**Aw, man! Sorry it ends here! Complement me on my gritmin.R&R, plz!!! **


	12. Monsters

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**Yo, guys! The only reviewer I have is the V rex! C'mon, people, are you reading this story at all!? BTW, rex, thanks for all of your support, and if it weren't for you, I would not be writing this story. So, this chapter was written in his honour. Just cuz he's cool.**

**BTW, I updated almost all five of my fics, check them out on my page!**

**Disclaimer: Ok, you guys know the drill. I don't own the piklopedia entries, yadda yadda yadda. Now is the time for reading, not for... well, reading this... well anyway, on with the show!**

Pure fear was all that the pikmin were driven by. Pure fear was all that their eyes and movements spoke of. We fought out of pure fear.

A huge juggernought of a gritmin who had his darkside arm replaced with a huge stone mallet and a short "stem" tipped with a spined stone charged at me, swinging his limbs like a madmin.

I rolled out of the way of one of his blows, wincing at the pain in my arm. I then jumped up onto the creature's face and began battering him with my stem with a strength born of panic.

To my complete surprise he simply reached up with his arm and pulled me off its face, before smashing me to the ground.

And then I realized that it was hopeless.

The gritmin are made of pure stone. They probably feel no pain, and our stems don't do much good against their rocky, stone-solid exorin.

It took almost ten pikmin to slay one, and even then six of them were slain in the process.

I tried to make a sound, but I could not speak. My breath had left me.

I noticed dimly the large, crushing limb of the monster raise up above me.

Before it could smash me into the ground, I heard, from somewhere to my darkside shout, "NO!!"

And when the stone arm crushed into the ground, I was no longer there, but in the arms of Remill, once again.

He set me down."Why is it always I who is saving you?"

I looked up. His eyes were shimmering with glee, relief and inevitable fear.

I made an attempt to sit up, which failed. My wind was still gone.

But I still managed to croak a word of thanks.

Remill just smiled, and helped me up.

I noticed that the gritmin was turning round, looking for me.

Remill's eyes then became as hard as the hide of the creature swinging round to face me."Let us find Beras and Striker. We will tackle this monstrosity together."

I croaked out."But it is hopeless. We will certainly perish."

Remill's head turned round sharply. His eyes spoke of anger."Do not you DARE speak like that! It is never hopeless! It is simply so that some ways of overcoming obstacles are more difficult than others."

I looked up at his face, my eyes speaking of relief and fear."Thank you. I needed that."

We got up, and proceeded to look for Striker.

On our way we leaped over a gritmin, spikes spearing up at us.

As we flew through the air past it, we struck it with our stems, and it toppled over and shattered.

Apparently some were not as strong as others.

We landed, and ran past gritmin fighting with other pikmin.

We found Striker with a group of our brothers from the red Vessel, who were beating back a group of twisted and warped gritmin, who looked like they were simply pieced together with random stones..

We called her, waving our stems.

Before she joined us, she turned and struck the gritmin she was facing, which toppled backwards into another. They bothe fell to the ground.

As she ran over to us, Remill called out,"The leader named you aptly!"

We ran over to the large monster stalking its way past a group of blue pikmin, swinging its huge arm.

As we could not find Beras, we decided to attack it ourselves.

We leapt at it, me at its back.

Striker landed on its arm.

And Remill managed to grab a hold on its face.

I almost impaled myself on its spined back, but still managed to grab onto it with my one good arm.

We then pummeled it with as much strength as we could muster.

The gritmin stumbled about, grabbing wildly at us, silently. Gritmin had no voices.

Our efforts were aided by its striking itself with its arm in an attempt to dislodge us.

Eventually, it started to crack underneath my stem.

And at last, it fell with a large thumping noise into the ground.

I was hurled facefirst, and landed on my good arm, which fortunately did not break.

It still hurt, however.

When the dust cleared, we were the ones left standing.

And so, amidst the fighting, amidst the fear and the shock and anger and pain, we jumped up, and proclaimed our rejoice. That there was always hope, that there never was an impossibitity, that there are always ways to overcome.

And then, I heard a voice."Swift, I have found you!"

And I turn and see Beras, part of the leaf on his stem missing and a large scratch on his side.

We ran over to him, and we all took hope in each other's company.

We were four pikmin, but we were invincible in our friendship.

Soon after, a gritmin interrupted our little congregation, and we refocused on the task at hand.

I called the other pikmin with my whistle, with a loud, piercing _Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!_

And all pikmin who were not engaged in combat ran over to us, and clustered in a small circle so the gritmin could not get past.

I quickly handed out instructions.

"Red pikmin, brothers and sisters, you will form a phalanx, seven pikmin wide, four pikmin long. Brothers of the blue Vessel, we will provide support from behind. Yellow pikmin, be ready to leap over us and attack the monsters from behind. We are pikmin and we will not fail. We will noy fail!!"

And all pikmin roared with me, reaching out and grasping hope with their voices.

We quickly formed into our respective formations.

Through the red pikmin, the gritmin, hard as stone, finished their combats.

"Ready!" I called out.

"Steady..."

I noticed a group of gritmin with the spears on their heads, stab into a single red pikmin.

"Hold fast..."

A gritmin with a huge blades for arms swiped off the heads of three pikmin with one blow.

"Not yet..."

Gritmin carrying dyroneons rushed into groups of pikmin and detonated themselves.

"Almost..." I said, my voice filled with fear.

Gritmin trundled towards us, eyes blank, and emotionless, their movements speaking of no emotions either.

"NOW!!"

The pikmin surged forwards in a huge tide, a wave of fire across the clearing! This was our time, our place! This was why we were born! We will not fail!

Beras, my friend, ran beside me. His prescence filled me with hope, hope that could not be diminished, would not be diminished. I voiced my emotions through my words, emotion erupting from me in the form of a battle cry:

"_Not now, and not ever!" _

All pikmin around me joined my effort!

_"NOT NOW, AND NOT EVEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!"_

We rushed towards the gritmin!

_"YAAAAAAARGH!"_

I blasted past red pikmin beating down gritmin relentlessly, and I caught a glimpse of the yellow pikmin soaring above us.

A gritmin with a spiked ball on top of his stem reared up before me.

Screaming in anger, rage, and fear, I rolled sideways from his blow downwards, and a ren later swiping up with my stem as I jumped up.

The gritmin toppled backwards into a red pikmin, who proceeded to beat it ferociously with her stem.

The gritmin with the bladed arms came forwards, rearing up twice my size. Its blades were longer than its body, and glinted in the fading light.

I ducked underneath its swipe to my head, and I battered it with a series of short, quick blows.

It staggered backwards, and righted itself, and hurled itself in my direction, intent upon impaling me with its spikes. I jumped out of the way, and a blue pikmin running alongside me was impaled in my place. I heard his scream of pain, fury, and helplessness, and then it quietly died.

Amisdst the roars of other pikmin, my voice added itself to the chorus of savageness. I hurled myself at the gritmin, screamin with a savage fury born from the sight of the dead pikmin upon the monster's back.

I gave it a vicious blow, which sent it reeling backwards.

Still screaming, I pummeled it again and again, surprising myself with my own strength.

Soon after, its face began to crack.

Until eventually its face shattered and it fell to the ground.

And then, I heard a sound incredibly familiar, one that I was not sure that I would ever hear again.

A fluttering noise. Glorious, glorious fluttering.

The smell of nectar in its pure form.

The gift of the Mother Vessel.

I looked up to the sight. It was the green Vessel! Not only that, but it was accompanied by all three of OUR Vessels!

All pikmin looked up, eyes speaking of shock and bewilderment. Nothing moved, everything was still.

Until a massive roar, full of emotion, burst through the mouths of the pikmin, echoing through the clearing, shaking the forest, causing the ground to tremble!

The gritmin hunkered down, seeming to shrink into the ground. Some of the weaker specimens shattered immediately.

All pikmin fought with renewed strength and vigour, the gritmin no longer had a vindictiveness to them, only something that seemed like..._fear!?_

They were beaten back, and they divided, splitting into two groups to reveal a pathway.

"Quickly, now is our chance!" I yelled, and my voice was accompanied by the Ancient's and the Champion's.

As we surged through, the gritmin closed around us in an unexpected movement, in an attempt to slaughter us as we were vulnerable.

Screams of pain and anger could be heard."Quickly, do not falter! To the Vessels!"

I heard a small _ugh!_ as a pikmin beside me was stabbed by a gritmin.

I turned to look and saw..._Beras!?_

He coughed, upheaving a clear fluid."Swift, I have found you again."

It was as if I was encased in a bubble, with only me, Beras, and an unknown gritmin.

I looked down. Everything was underwater.

I saw the bodies of slain pikmin mingling with the shattered remains of the gritmin.

I looked at Beras again, my eyes speaking of shock, pain, and sorrow. "_Why?"_

He coughed again."Friend, run to the Vessels before a gritmin catches you." And he closed his eyes.

I simply turned and ran.

Far away from the place of hope and victory.

Far away from the place, the place of sorrows and loss.

Far away from where my friend died.

Out from the green Vessel I spotted Wyrr.

He looked down at me, eyes full of cheer at seeing me. He began to call out a greeting, but stopped when he saw the fire roaring in my eyes.

I leaped aboard the green Vessel, it being the easiest to access.

Green pikmin clustered about me, asking me questions.

"Hey, blue-min! Wyrr has told a lot about you guys!" Things like that. I answered hollowly, with a voice that I could barely identify as my own.

The other pikmin, sensing my anger and sorrow, left me alone.

As the Vessel finally lifted off, I looked once more to the ground, at Beras.

I waved to him, permitting joy once again to speak in my eyes.

His lifeless eyes, full of peace and calm, stared back at me, then focused upon the sky, to which he was returning from when his soul was bonded here, on the Mother Vessel.

**Sorry, guys, that I let him die. Please don't be too mad at me. Wait for next chapter, where we'll see more of the grasslord. You'll see what happens next time!**

**Cya!**

**Call ended.**


	13. Last Grasslord

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**Heyyy! I missed u guys! And I love your reviews! Ah, damn, that's not an excuse. Sorry for the long update. I had to work on my other stories, and exams are coming up so... I'm not dead. Or, wait, I am. I will fail the exams and be killed by my parents. But maybe not, so you will get more chapters. This chapter won't be too long, but I'll try to update soon.**

**Disclaimer: You all know the drill.**

**Time to read.**

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The soft fluttering helped to still the turmoil inside of my head. It didn't help too much, but it helped a bit.

My head was so full of the events a day ago that my exorin was beginning to hurt.

Everywhere I looked, I saw either joy or despair.

When I looked at my stem, I saw depression being spoken.

When I looked at my friends, one of whom was missing, I saw their faces speaking of happiness. They conversed with each other without worry or sadness. They were happy...

...Something that I could not be.

The Vessel, unfamiliar to me but at the same time recognizable, rocked softly for a moment as it hit a small gust of wind, forcing all pikmin to shift position slightly.

I rocked softly as the Vessel was buffeted with more winds. It seems we had hit a mistral.

All pikmin in the room slowly quieted down, and fell still.

_Yesterday I had noticed a strange reation in the pikmin. While we fly in the night sky, they chatter incessantly. They never seem to go to sleep. But yesterday, after we fought a mighty bulblax that had taken residence deep underground, and were by then flying at altitude 1056 poki, the pikmin suddenly grew quiet. They all became silent. I looked out at them, and noticed that the wind outside had formed into larger waves, which soon had become a small whirlwind, which the pikmin seem to call a mistral. Perhaps the coming of a mistral was holy to them?,That when the pikmin suffer a large amount of casualties the earth joins in their mourning? I suppose that a mistral is the only time when pikmin realize that most of their number had perished. It must be a holy event... their bright spores excreted by the Vessels kept me awake...--Excerpt from Audio log: Pikmin studies and research, 34th day on the pikmin planet._

As we listened to the wind being buffeted against the surface of the Vessel, we mourned quietly for the pikmin that had perished in the battle. Our number had dropped down to about thirty pikmin (Ten blue pikmin, eleven red pikmin, and nine yellow pikmin) including the tribe of fifty green pikmin. The Ancient of the yellow pikmin had finally perished, Father Vessel guide his soul. In his place was an uncertain Female, defiant but confused.

I looked up as Wyrr slowly came over to where I sat, quietly mourning.

"Brother, you just lost a friend."

I looked up, my eyes no doubt speaking of shock."What? How do you know?"

And he replied, "You don't just feel sad for the pikmin that have died. You mourn for someone close to you, someone you had suffered with for a while. You don't mourn the normal way."

His eyes then shone with reassurance. "Trust me, we can tell."

I looked down again absentmindedly as he sat down beside me."How did I know their names?"

Wyrr blinked."What?"

My gaze fixed upon an interesting-looking piece of carrion not yet eaten by the pikmin."The gritmin."

And he laughed. I looked up in surprise."Why are you laughing?"

And he calmed down."You don't know? You don't know that all pikmin chiefs have the knowledge of the past chiefs?"

I blinked."No. That is interesting."

He continued."Well, you all get to see anything you want from the past. You just have to learn how to control it, and you'll know anything and everything! I'm jealous."

I was so taken aback, I could not speak.

Wyrr looked at me quizzicaly."You're that surprised?"

My head dropped slowly down, then snapped up in stupefication.

Wyrr laughed. "All pikmin are one."

And even I had to show joy at that.

A little too early. There was a massive shaking of the Vessel, and we then heard an angry buzzing, roaring sound, a howl of anger and sadness. It felt... inexplicatly old, as if a century-old monster had awaken.

All pikmin rushed to the entrances of the Vessel, and we looked around for the source of the noise.

Just in time. We saw a dark shape rush up from the surface of the Mother Vessel, and heading towards us at high speed. Whatever it was roared again, sending shivers throughout all pikmin.

All green pikmin backed away from the entrances instantly."It's the grasslord! He's here!"

"THE GRASSLORD IS HERE!!!"

I saw Wyrr backing away in panic.

I turned to the shape rushing towards the Vessel. So this was the being that had terrorrized the green pikmin, had tried and failed to wipe them out.

I heard an insectoid voice, filled with anger and rage.

_YOU FILTHY ABBERATIONS!! YOU DAMNED BASTARDS!!! HOW COULD YOU!!??_

And ALL pikmin leaped back at the voice. All pikmin cringed as we felt his pain and sorrow.

Why did HE feel pain and sorrow?

All pikmin screamed as the grasslord hurled himself against the Vessel, bringing his full weight crashing into the nestcraft.

The Vessel juddered and began to lose altitude, but stopped.

Wyrr jumped up."He's jumping up, and trying to bring down the Vessel!"

I yelled back at him."Could he absolutely leap to this altitude!?"

And he yelled back."You saw him do it, didn't you!?"

And all pikmin flew to the side as the Vessel swerved to avoid the enraged creature's blow.

"At this rate, we will fall! Eldest, what must we do!?"

"Tell us, Eldest!"

I heard the green pikmin call for their Chief, and the other pikmin call for their clan leaders.

I thought quickly."We will land."

All pikmin gasped, and I quieted them down."We are headed for the Sanctuary, correct?"

The Vessel shuddered again, sending me almost tumbling.

And the pikmin, breathless, replied, "Yes?"

And I quickly told him,"We must abandon the Vessel."

All pikmin that could turned their heads in my direction, eyes speaking of fear and bewilderment.

I told them,"The sacred laws. Do you all remember? We must leave the Vessel behind! And anyways, the grasslord will evidently not surrender his attack upon us! We must act before it is destroyed!"

SO all pikmin looked at each other, comprehension shining upon their faces.

And turned to shades of fear as the grasslord again screamed and hurled himself upon the Vessel.

As I stood up, I caled out, "Quickly! We must hurry!"

Outside, the grasslord screamed.

_YOU FILTHY ABONINATIONS SLAUGHTERED MY CHILDREN! YOU WILL BE MADE TO PAY EVEN IF I WERE TO PERISH! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!_

Upon hearing this, I quickly turned my head to Wyrr. He looked at me, and we understood.

We quickly ran to the entrance of the quickly descending Vessel. The grasslord was flying around the Vessel with large, buzzing wings each the size of his own body.

_So, some of you have come out to play! Well, unfortunately for you, I AM NOT IN THE MOOD!!!!!_

And as he flew to the Vessel, screaming the whole way, Wyrr and I held up our arms, and yelled out for him to stop his attack!

_AND WHY SHOULD I, YOU FILTHY MAGGOTS!!??_

And we called out,"It was not us! It was not us!"

_DON'T TRY TO DENY IT, FILTHY MUTANTS!! I KNOW IT WAS YOU!!!_

"It couldn't have been us! We did not even know that you were following us! How many pikmin did you send!?"

_YOU KNOW HOW MANY, MAGGOTS!! THREE LEAGUES OF MY CHILDREN PERISHED AGAINST YOUR FILTHY TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS! YOU SOMEHOW CAUSED THEM TO PERISH! I DO NOT KNOW HOW, NOR DO I CARE TO KNOW!! YOU WILL PERISH HERE!!!!_

Wyrr and I exchanged quick glances, and then called back to the enraged and furious creature tailing us.

"It was not us! It must have been the gritmin!!"

_THE GRITMIN!!?? HA!! YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF LONG-DEAD OLDTALES!?_

Wyrr shrugged at me in helplessness. I turned to the grasslord once more.

"But it was true! They slaughtered us as well!!"

At that the grasslord stopped his charge.

_What did you say?_

"They killed most of our number as well!! I would know! I HAVE LOST ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS!! WOULD I LIE TO YOU ABOUT IT!!!???"

At my sudden burst of rage, Wyrr turned to me in surprise, eyes speaking of shock and surprise.

The grasslord ceased his furious charge at us abruptly, and paused, humming there quietly in the air. Then he quickly turned away and flew back to the forest quickly.

I glanced wearily at Wyrr. His eyes were wide and full of shoc at the sight of his greatest enemy turning tail, or wing, and fleeing away.

Now I understood.

The Vessel continued drifting down quietly towards the surface of the blessed Mother Vessel, quietly and serenely through the darktime sky, which was already beginning to show some light of the first cycle of the Manycycles.

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Somewhere in the forest, the grasslord was sprinting through. As a fallen log appeared on his path, he leaped up and past, flying high through the trees, leaves flying past as blurrs. He descended quickly and landed, and continued running without his breaking pace.

He quickly turned to his darkside, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. His legs were ow just a blur flying up and past his muzzle, then his abdomen. At this rate, the muscles would tear and break. But not before he obtained his revenge.

He would scour the forest until he found them. And kill them.

And then, he would die.

the last grasslord.

**Sorry this chapter was so short and hurried. Review please! Hope you liked it anyways.**


	14. Beginning

**PenWraith is attempting to connect to your line. Please wait a moment for your call…………………………………………………………………………………………..Thank you for your patience.**

**Dammit, these chapters are getting shorter and more hurried! I need to spend more time on them! Sorry for the long update, but I need two things.**

**1. To spend less time on my other stories (which is impossible)**

**2. TO GET MORE REVIEWS!!! Tell me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you want to tell me! Give opinions! Suggestions! ANYTHING!**

**Please.**

**Disclaimer: . . . are you sure that I have to repeat myself? If I did, I'd be worried.**

**Read my wonderful creation.**

"Come on, come on! Out! We don't have much time!!"

Pikmin were exiting the Vessel hurriedly, some even slipping and falling in their haste. None were injured, fortunately.

Me, the new Ancient of the yellow pikmin, the Champion of the red pikmin, and the Chieftain of the green pikmin were gathered upon a small stone. The Chieftain was tall, extremely tall for a pikmin, and I vaguely wondered how old he was. There was an oldness, an anger that spoke in his eyes. His limbs, frail as they were, still had some semblance of their former power. He had scars all over his face, almost obscuring one eye.

"The gritmin have returned," Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. I was the only other pikmin who appeared to know what they were, so I thought that I should give some contributions. After all, I knew all that our previous Eldests had known, but I had only recalled a few of their memories. The previous Eldests had evidently had some interactions with the gritmin, how and why I did not know. But I did recall a few things.

"Yes, they have returned. And I know how."

The Champion voiced his displeasure. "Why have you not known this before? And if you did, they why have you not spoken?"

And I said,"Because I simply did not know. And if I had, brother, then I would have spoken."

He began to speak, until he was interrupted by the Ancient, the newest and youngest of the council."And if you would like to know what _he_ does, then I would advise you to keep quiet and let him tell us."

"Wise words, young one," Spoke the Chieftain,"But do not forget that I also have some knowledge of these horrors, if you desire a different view of the matter."

The Champion spoke again."The gritmin are a far greater threat to us than the bugmin, but they do not seem to be particularly nomadic, instead preferring to make a lair in one specific area. Do not ask me why, I just know this."

I looked at him carefully. The past Champions have also evidently had some interactions with them, as well.

So I spoke again."We must do now what had always been our intended mission: To get to the Sanctuary."

And, seeing no signs of objection of any sort, I continued.

"We must not bring the Vessels, nor any food. We must begin soon, while the grasslord and the bugmin are distracted, and while the gritmin are dormant. We must go NOW."

To my surprise, they remained silenced. I turned to them in shock.

The Chieftain spoke up. "Tell us."

I looked at him strangely, but he continued."You said you knew how the gritmin have returned from their slumber beneath the earth. The old creatures of legend, the souls of dead pikmin from the time of darkness."

I looked to the ground."They have a new master."

The Champion and Chieftain both exclaimed. But the Ancient still looked uncertain, her eyes speaking of confusion. It was evidently too recent for her to regain the past knowledge.

"Remember the stones that fell from the sky?" I said. Comprehension then dawned in the Chieftain's eyes, but it was the Champion's turn for puzzlement. Even the small Ancient had caught on.

"Yes, I remember the stones that drove the creatures wild. We were attacked repeatedly by min-eaters that day. No doubt they will be returning, by the way. We need to get travelling soon."

I nodded."We were in our Vessels when we were brought down. The stones that fell from the sky... they are _alive_."

All leaders stared at me, with hysteria in their eyes.

I took a deep breath and continued."The stones... the gritmin call them _Masters_. The Masters are what dictate their actions. They are constantly hungry... for souls. Slaying pikmin appeases them Slaying ANYTHING appeases them!!"

I bowed my head."They are always hungry." I raised it."When enough souls are absorbed into them, they send out pulses of energy that awaken more sleeping gritmin. Their mission is to destroy all life on the planet, absorb all life. Only then will their hunger be satisfied."

I shrank back, not able to look at them in their eyes.

The Chieftain, in particular, seemed to be the most affected."When will the slaughter end?" He whispered silently.

The Champion looked at me. "Are you sure that this is true? You are certain that it is not a lie?"

I looked at him, water leaking from my eyes."I'm no longer sure as to what is a lie or what is reality."

The Ancient looked up from her pondering."We must take action. Now, before the masters are aware of us."

So all we did was gather up all pikmin, and leave.

That's all there was.

Maybe, if you stride to the clearing that was there, you may still see the Vessel of the Green pikmin, unless it was consumed by creatures in our abscence. Perhaps not. But we were finally beginning our grand quest to the Sanctuary, to the place of peace.

This is only the beginning.

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Looked up. See others.

Master... found something.

More? More of it?

He found more.

He told me to go get them.

If we did, then he would be happy.

We like Master to be happy.

Because we don't like him when he's mad.

**Well, how did I do? FINALLY I get to tell you guys everything and anything I want to without spoiling the story. And finally, they start. Guess what? I'm intending for the whole story to be a few times bigger than it is now. Like, say, sixty chapters?**

**Next one will be good, to make up for this one's shortness... PLZ REVIEW. OR THIS STORY IS DISCONTINUED. Seriously, I need to know that this story is being acknowledged. I AM NOT SATISFIED. BRING ME REVIEWS...**


	15. Black

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**YAY! I'm back. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! It's people like u (thumbs...looking u in the eye) That make writing so satisfying! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**You deserve hugs. But I'll give u something better...**

**A GREAT CHAPTER OF EXTINCTION!**

**I AM UPDATING THIS ON MY BDAY!! WOHOO!!**

**Yep. Its my birthday, so I'm giving YOU guys a present.**

**...Or one day before my birthday...**

**whatever.**

**...btw, did any of you notice in a certain previous chapter that something spoke out to Swift? In the forest?**

**Disclaimer:...no more disclaimers. They annoy me.**

_Left...right...left...right..._

_Snap...crunch..._

_Something whiled through the trees, wailing and howling like a creature posessed._

_Two of the gritmin were immediately struck down, and dissipated into dust._

_Another was sent flying through the air, the remnants of its flailing arms dessicating in midair before crashing into a pile of larger aberrations._

_Another was crushed underfoot as the thing landed among them._

_Antennae lashed out, flailing tendrils that destroyed all they touched._

_Legs kicked, blasting stone-skinned things through the air, over the walls of their fortress._

_Some gritmin, still unbelievably unnoticing the enraged creature amongst them, continued trundling to the walls, bringing with them more stones to build up their walls._

_But as they eventually became aware of its prescence, they dropped their stones and flung themselves to it, flailing blades and spikes desperate to prevent the discovery of their vulnerable master._

_It shrugged, casually casting them aside before battering them to dust with huge wings._

_The master was ahead, and he was waiting._

_Roaring, the grasslord flung himself at the oncoming tide of thrashing, flailing, rocky, emotionless gritmin, their eyes betraying no emotion,_

_no soul._

--

It sniffed the air, tan colour nose shuffling through the air.

Its large eyes looked around warily, before looking down again to the ground.

A sharp crack echoed through the forest, and its head whipped towards the sound, before turning back towards the ground. It then lumbered off slowly.

_Red Bulborb_

_Oculus Kageyamii Russus_

_Bulborb family_

_This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Origionally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the red bulborb. Subspecies of varied color have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification._

_Excerpt from: Piklopedia, 2nd day on pikmin planet_

--

A few bushes rustled, and parted. A pikmin cautiously crawled from the shrub, low to the ground. It kept its eyes riveted upon the min-eater as it lumbered away, and as soon as it trundled out of sight, the pikmin relaxed and waved his stem.

A whole troupe of pikmin appeared out of the bushes and with sighs of relief dropped to the ground. Another path stretched to either side, suggesting that this was a well-used path. I signaled that we may stop for a rest, and all other pikmin within earshot dropped to the ground, exhausted.

I turned to the champion, who appeared beside me. "Brother Champion. We need to guard this path. The creatures are returning to the forest."

He nodded. "Yes. It is the path of a devourer, one of the greater min-eaters. They patrol diligently paths that wind through the forest, searching for food. They eat anything that crosses their path." His eyes narrowed. "We must not linger here. Our souls are tired enough as it is"

I nodded. "Yes." The Champion then turned to the Chieftain, who appeared beside him on his Brightside. (In this case, to his right. I know it's confusing, and consequently, Brightside will be right, and Darkside will be left.)

"Brother of the Green Vessel. May you instruct your pikmin to keep watch on this path from the trees?"

He nodded. "Yes. I recognize this path." He then began to issue orders to some green pikmin to his side.

I raised my head. "Brother..." I called for a moment.

He hesitated. "Yes?"

I looked at him. "Nothing." I replied.

He turned and walked away.

I raised my head again. I had the feeling that I was being watched again.

But no-one was there.

--

... Master... is happy.

Happy is good. Master is nice when he is happy.

... Master? More happy?

Happy. Happy is good.

Master will be happy.

--

I raised my head from my meal. The min-eater's flesh was sweet, but not sweet enough to ignore the message.

Green pikmin flew down from the trees, calling out warnings to all that would listen.

Pikmin looked up from everywhere to the new disturbance, which, when realized, caused masses of panic-striken pikmin running everywhere, tripping, being trampled, screaming.

Gritmin were coming.

Hustle and bustle, everywhere. The whole forest was alive with sounds as pikmin fled into the trees in panic, and hid behind boulders, logs, under leaves, everywhere. They called out to loved ones, friends, grasping at hope before it was annihilated, that they would share company with others.

I cried the call of the Eldest, as the Champion, Ancient, and Chieftain did, and all pikmin immediately stopped their flailing panic and sped towards the noises. We gave out instruction to the pikmin and ran to our tasks. The Chieftain, to the trees. The Ancient, behind the log. The Champion, to the shrubs dotting the side of the road, and I led my pikmin to the opposite side of the trail.

Yellow and Blue on one side, Red and Green on the other. All pikmin, no matter the colour, stopped and held their breath, souls bursting in fear. We all crouched down to the ground, and drew our stems behind us, flat on our backs. The pikmin beside me trembled in fear, as if his soul was already tearing apart in anticipation.

Soon, all pikmin noises and movements ceased, and we heard a tramping, like stones crumbling.

A horde of gritmin was trundling down the path.

A gruff, rasping voice beside me wheezed, "Looking for devourers, no doubt,"

I whipped my head around at the noise, and almost struck a pikmin to my side in the process. He grunted and stared at me menacingly. I mumbled my apologies, and when he saw that I was the Eldest, he turned away modestly.

The gritmin were still tramping down the path, and I could see that there were no that many.

"Them devourers dun stand no chance," Another voice from my darkside.

I whipped my head the other way, my eyes speaking of confusion, my stomach howled with fear.

But nothing was there aside from the trees.

Before I could breathe, a pikmin fell from the sky.

All pikmin gasped in fear, and the gritmin turned to fix their eyes upon our hiding places. But they never noticed us, as the pikmin from the sky suddenly flew upwards and dropped something in the amasses ranks of the aberrations.

They parted for a moment, until the dyroneon exploded in their midst, sending quite a number flying, and quite a few more to dissolve into nothingness as the explosion tore them apart.

Before long, more of the flying pikmin had swooped down, veered upwards away, and dropping down their dyroneons.

The phalanx of gritmin started trundling around in confusion, not enough insight speaking from their eyes to look upwards at their assailants.

The pikmin around me began to cheer as the pikmin continued to pulverize the gritmin, great balls of fire and stone appearing seemingly at random around them.

A pikmin unfortunate enough to swoop too close to an explosion was sent tumbling through the air at the gritmin, and they reached upwards and plucked it from the sky. We were forced to hear it scream as it was ripped apart.

Another struck a tree, and, broken and battered, fell towards the gritmin...

...Very close to my position.

As it struggled to get up, I noticed it more clearly.

It was black, and small, about the size of our white cousins below the ground. Its eyes were a crimson-red, and its arms were slightly longer that they should. But what struck me the most was its stem.

It was whitish-grey, and had a small sphere at its tip. As I watched, it opened up, small white puffs detatching from the stem and flaring out, making the sphere larger. It was larger than its body, and seemed to catch the wind. But all it managed to achieve was a small glide, before it crashed to the ground again. (For all of you who don't understand, its stem looks like a dandelion-ish thing which opens and closes. It drifts on the wind. Im getting worse with descriptions...)

A gritmin caught sight of it and trundled towards it ponderously. This gritmin had spikes covering its body, and a stone blade for an arm. Its other was a few stones bound together by some force.

Before it reached the black pikmin I leapt out at it, and struck it on its back. But only managed to bruise my stem.

I cried out in pain. I had forgotten that their hides were made out of stone. I was not stong enough in my current state to injure it.

Remill, from his place on the stump, noticed me charge and rushed up to aid me. "Swift, what are you doing!? This is madness! You are the Eldest! You must remain alive to direct the pikmin!"

I looked up at him. "I must protect pikmin... Is that not what I am doing? Helping pikmin?"

He looked up, and a shadow of fear spoke briefly in his eyes. "Not for long, if that gritmin reaches him."

I jumped up and we both ran to the wailing pikmin. I called out, "Remill, run to the darkside! Two rens after I attack, strike him from the front! It will fall, and we can pummel it!"

I leapt with all my strength, and impacted upon the gritmin's back, avoiding the deadly spines. The thing wobbled, and began to lean forwards, until Remill struck its front, and it toppled the other way. I leapt before the spines impaled me, and turned round.

Ironically, its defense also proved to be its weakness. The two-pikmin abberration was stuck in the ground, its spines holding it firmly in place. It ponderously waved its arms comically.

I leaped onto its belly, and, avoiding its stem, which began slashing at me, struck it repeatedly. Remill attacked it while remaining on the ground, avoiding its flailing arms. The blue and yellow pikmin cheered at me as I went, and only caused happiness and triumph to speak in my face. My soul eagerly awaited the moment when the thing would perish.

The black pikmin took his chance, and began to crawl away.

The thing crumbled beneath me, and I fell to the ground, stunned. But I immediately jumped back up and rushed to the black pikmin, and Remill and I took him and led him swiftly from the one-sided battle.

If only Beras was here to see this...

But I could not mourn. We had a pikmin to save.

I took him back, among the still-cheering blue pikmin. Remill panted as he came back.

"Swift... you... have... become... even faster... than me..." He panted, and happiness spoke in his face. "It was all... I could do... just to keep up!"

He ran back, still panting, to the yellow pikmin.

As the battle raged on, we examined the black pikmin, and he examined us, as best he could. His eyes were dimming.

I called out, "We need healers here! And nectar! Now!"

The pikmin struggled to speak. His voic rasped, and spoke of weariness. "_Th... th-thank..."_

"Now is not the time for thanks," I said sternly. "Now is the time to rest."

But before his eyes dimmed in rest, as he strained to make his voice heard over the fierce screamings and noises of battle, he said, "Name... _Xerro..._"

And then he went limp. The other pikmin looked at him in worry. "Do not worry, he is merely resting." It did not seem that any other pikmin had learned of his name yet.

I looked at him more closely. Indeed, the white, soft- looking things that sprouted from the stem were probably light enough to lift him up, and he did not seem at all heavy.

"Eldest!" I looked up at the voice. I noticed the Ancient running over to me, her frame far younger than her name.

"Eldest, there is a devourer on the trail! And it is heading this way!"

I looked up at her eyes, speaking of fear, and anxiety. My voice straining, I asked, "Where did you get this information?"

She pointed at a green pikmin that I had not noticed approach, and who was puffing wearily. He raised his head, but even though his stem was limp with weariness, I recognized those eyes which so spoke of happiness and eternal joy.

"Hey, there, mate! Recognize me?"

"Wyrr!" I exclaimed in joy. "I have not seen you since we encountered the gritmin!" I was so joyful that he was alive, that his soul had not yet reached for the Father Vessel.

"Had to see ya, mate! Say, maybe we should get to the treetops? The devourer'll be here soon..."

I nodded. Now was not the time for conversing. I turned to the pikmin. "Brothers and sisters! We must follow our noble brothers of the Green Vessel! Take to the trees, for the devourer that patrols the road shall arrive soon!"

The pikmin around me muttered in fear as they absorbed this information. A devourer? Now? In the middle of a battle?

"Brethren, we must hurry! Follow our brother!" I pointed at Wyrr, who motioned for the others to follow. Still muttering their doubts, the pikmin followed him nonetheless. He led them to a great tree, one so high all of its leaves that we could see were small green smudges.

"Best be careful," He warned. "There might be some tree-creatures up there." All pikmin nodded.

Wyrr looked over somewhere to the tree's darkside and called out, "Hey guys! It's time!"

Instantly green pikmin appeared all over the tree, clinging to the bark with their four limbs, nimbly crawling down lower.

"Oi, brothers, time to climb!" He said to the blue pikmin, and began to scale the massive tree with such speed that I was astonished. He was a blur, a fast moving blur, speeding up like a grassdrone.

Reluctantly at first, pikmin muttered around me as to if this was such a great idea, and I noticed more than a few looking at me, as if I was going to tell them what they should do. So I did. "Brothers, we must climb!" I called out so that all pikmin heard me. "It will not be much safer here on the ground."

I stepped forwards and grasped the rugged bark hesitantly, and heaved upwards. "The green pikmin make it look so easy," I muttered under my breath.

All around me, more pikmin started climbing as well, and soon the tree was swarming with blue and green shaped. TYhe green pikmin, I just noticed, were strategically positioned to be able to help others as they climbed up the tree, reaching down with their stems and two arms and hauling them upwards.

The green pikmin, when no blue pikmin was beneath them, sped up the tree to help the others again from above.

"Ohoo, look at them. Aren't they so active?"

I almost fell off the tree in surprise. Where had the voice come from? Did no other pikmin notice it!? Or was I going mad!?

"Yea, like... whatchacallemz? Dem cree-tuures?"

"Hey, look, the fighting stopped."

And only then had I noticed that the sounds of battle from the ground had ceased. In their stead were the small clacking noises of stone striking stone as gritmin hauled themselves upwards, looking around in apparent confusion.

A green pikmin grabbed me. "Hey mate, this is no time fro staring around. We gotta get up."

I noticed the other pikmin huddling together on a branch, eyes speaking of fright.

"Alright," I nodded. He grabbed me and tossed me up to the branch. I almost missed it, but managed to snag my stem upon a ledge in the bark.

A greenish creature flitted past me, bladed forearms glinting in the sunlight. Wings buzzed.

_Tree Kenduu_

_Eviscerae Putella_

_Mantid family_

_This creature belongs to the mantid family, and is a smaller relative of the larger greater Kenduu. It bears many similarities to the praying mantis aside from the fact that it makes it's nests in trees. It constructs a strange lair of white wool in which lays its eggs, and voraciously protects them from predators until hatching. I have observed it once slice through a pikmin with its deceptively short, bladed forearms and dismember it effectively. It seems to have no interest in the others after that, and only rose its head from its meal when they approached to close. It is omnivorous, and is capable on surviving on tree bark and a few drops of water a day. It is not a vicious creature, but will defend itself enthusiastically from threats. Do not apprach unless you utilize a steel-plated spacesuit or tempt it with food._

_Excerpt from- Piklopedia, 55th day on pikmin planet_

I struggled up the branch with the help of my brothers from the Green Vessel, before joining the small retinue of pikmin upon the branch.

And we simply waited.

--

_It lay still among many, many stones. Dust floated around it in small clouds._

_Rasping noises came from its chest as it heaved and gasped. _

_Its long, thin, strong legs, broken and battered, lay beside it limply._

_Its wings were torn up and scratched._

_As it breathed, it made a curious chirping noise. Its eyes dimming, it glanced around the small space._

_The remains of gritmin covered the ground everywhere. Their eyes, no less lifeless than when they were alive, stared unseeingly, sentinels of a broken citadel._

_Gritmin that still stood were gathered around the creature, silent and unmoving, waiting for a command from their master._

_Their wall was now complete, and no orders had been given as to what they should do after._

_The Master was safe; to tham it was all that mattered. Nothing could reach them now._

_But this... curious thing had come from over the wall..._

_How? Why? Were there more like it?_

_The thing's eyes searched round the enclosed area once more before they rested upon what they were searching for._

_A huge stone, grey, was centered in the middle of the area in a small crater. It had a hole at its top from which a green light emnated._

_As it watched the gritmin carried the carcass of a min-eater towards it, and dropped it into the hole._

_They then quickly stepped back and kneeled, face into the ground, stems laying flat and pointing towards it._

_The pressure around the Grasslord intensified, like the very air was heavy._

_And a green wave pulsed from the thing. Instantly stones began moving, forming shapes, familiar figures._

_Souls erupted from the ground, leaving no sign of their origin, and drifted around the area, as if confused, before being pulled towards the figures. The souls seemed full of fear as they were suctioned towards their hosts, before disappearing into their rocky bodies._

_The Grasslord sighed. So this was how the gritmin came to be... a process sickenengly similar to that of the Vessel..._

_The gritmin around him stiffened instantly, and moved forwards into a smaller circle..._

_The Grasslord stiffened in preparation. This was the end._

_A searing pain jabbed through him, and he screamed._

_He was alive for long enough to see a gritmin pull his heart from his body, dripping green with his own lifeblood, and hold it up to the sky._

_Before everything became white..._

--

Master... are you pleased?

_Master, Master_...

Master is happy... Happy is good...

_Happy is good..._

New orders? You will be happy?

Happy is good. Happy is good.

We need Master to be happy.

We do not want him to be mad...

Bad things happen when Master is mad...

**YO!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**OR I DEVOUR YOUR SOUL!!**


	16. Abominations

**PenWraith is attempting to connect to your line. Please wait a moment for your call…………………………………………………………………………………………..Thank you for your patience.**

**Yeah, yeah, no updates for a while. Gettin' kind of complacent, aren't I?**

**Can't be diligent for ALL of my stories...**

**Anyone already a Xerro fan? He's just soooo awesome!**

**Sorry for the mistakes in last chapter, I won't do it again... bad form, I know.**

**But listen to me, rambling on. YOU WANT STORY.**

**So I give you story!**

**Disclaimer: ... If any of you need this, I'm gonna get a bit worried... the new journal entries, however, ARE MINE. Same with the black pikmin. And green. And the gritmin.  
**

**P.S. SHIGERU MIYAMOTO ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING ON PIKMIN 3!! WOHOO!!**

--

_High upon the tree I slowly drifted into madness._

_Voices, voices everywhere... Why were there so many VOICES!!_

_Where are they coming from? What ARE they!?_

_WHAT ARE THEY!!_

_--_

I awoke with a start, disturbing a green pikmin to my brightside. He mumbled something incomprehensible, and turned away.

He was asleep.

All pikmin around me were asleep.

I turned around so I faced the large stem of the tree and sighed.

There were voices all around me. Pikmin mumbling and the others that I could not identify. That seemingly came from nowhere.

I could hear them now. "Ey, what're dem cree-tures doin' on me branch?"

"They're sleeping. What else?"

"Thought they might be violatin' it in some way."

"Honestly. Do you know nothing about these things? They are cree-tures. They do this thing called _sleep_."

"Resting."

"Honestly."

"Well, I din' know!"

All through the night they whispered. Whispered incessantly.

I was going mad.

_No, they speak._

What is speaking? Why? I'm not falling into madness?

_No. They speak._

"WHAT SPEAKS!?" I screamed into the night. A flock of some strange creatures lifted up from where I was standing a few paces away.

_Lightning beetle_

_Pseudocelestia Luminia_

_Scarab family_

_Distant relatives to the landbound anode beetles, the lightning beetles light up the night with their luminous abdomen. They achieve this by releasing a hormone that stimulates the bioluminescent chemicals stored in its abdomen, creating a chemical reaction to signal to potential female flightless mates on the ground. It is an extraordinary creature, but is not carnivorous. When not in flight they fold an interesting armoured carapace over its wings, seemingly to help protect it._

_Excerpt from: Piklopedia, 59th day on pikmin planet_

Their eerie yellow glow brightens the darkness up. The content faces of many pikmin are illuminated in the glow.

I strained to listen for the maddening voices again, but I cannot hear them.

I sighed, and sank to the ground, my face evidently speaking of fatigue. And then i wondered why I had not inherited memories from the past Eldests about the voices. Could it be that they had no memories or knowledge of them at all?

And about the black pikmin. Why had my predecessors not known of them? They had certainly know of the Gritmin.

Without bid, the voice in my head spoke: _When will this end? When will the carnage cease?_

_Will we ever find the sanctuary?_

We had only just begun our journey at last, and it seemed as if it was already hopeless.

My thoughts turned to the strange, black pikmin named Xerro. I looked around for him.

Eariler I sighted our brothers from the green Vessel bring him up from the ground, away from the sounds of the Gritmin.

"Maybe his brothers had already brought him back," I muttered softly. No matter. It would be best to push him from my mind. But no matter how I tried, I could not shake the strange image from my head.

_The strange, white fluff covering its stalk opened and closed with a mind of its own._

Why did it not stray from my mind?

_It is not right._

What?

_The black pikmin. It is not natural. it does not belong._

Why not? They seemed helpful and friendly enough. What wrong could they have done on the great Mother Vessel?

_But what of the Father Vessel?_

He would be angry, but... why are they not 'right?'

_They are... ABOMINATIONS._

"What!?" i exclaimed aloud, causing some pikmin to stir.

I felt shock and horror. Certainly they were strange, but... _abominations?_

They couldn't be! We haven't seen them before, so that makes them monstrosities!?

_They do not belong._

The voice remained in my head throughout the night.

--

Master?

Master... is angry...

The strange black things from the sky made him angry...

No... Master, No... don't be angry...

No...

NO!!

--

**Short chapter, _another,_ yeah.**

**Everyone wants me to write more, but I can't find the time. Or I'm just lazy.**

**Next one will be better. That is a PROMISE.**

**Anyways apparently V Rex, Killer Raptor, and Great Thumbs of Wisdom are creating a collab fic named 'perspectives!' A COLLAB FIC!!**

**WOHOOO!!**

**Call ended.**


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